Deer Taskforce

1 March 2012, LINK Deer Taskforce, Press Releases

Deer Taskforce response to Scottish Gamekeepers Association report

Those with an interest in the future of deer management in Scotland have recently signed up to support the Scottish Government’s Code of Sustainable Deer Management. Far from the conflict that the SGA report portrays, there is increasing agreement on what needs to be done to manage deer populations sustainably for the benefit of our environment and the rural economy.

15 September 2010, , Parliamentary Briefings

Oral Evidence, Stage 1 Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill

Members of the LINK Wildlife and Natural Environment taskforce give oral evidence to the Scottish Parliament's Rural Affairs and Environment Committee.

Discussions included: Single witness evidence, quarry species, overwintering geese, hares, snaring, issue of invasive non-native species, species licencing and more...

1 September 2010, LINK Wildlife Natural Environment, Parliamentary Briefings

Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill - Stage 1 Evidence

LINK welcomes the opportunities to update the law on wildlife and the natural environment afforded by this bill.  We particularly welcome elements such as the provisions on non-native species and on arrangements for Sites of Special Scientific Interest and have some positive suggestions for improvement in these areas.  Whilst welcoming parts of the bill, we also have deep reservations about other aspects, especially the disappointing and unworkable proposals on deer management.

10 June 2010, LINK Wildlife Natural Environment, Press Releases

A Missed Opportunity? Wildlife Bill and Deer Management Planning

We are concerned that the proposals do not offer a serious improvement to the current voluntary approach to Deer Management Planning, organised by the network of Scottish Deer Management Groups. We believe that the current voluntary approach to deer management planning has been given a chance over at least a decade or more and has proved largely ineffective, as evidenced by the recent Scottish Government response to Parliamentary questions on this subject. We think that Deer Management Groups need enhanced Scottish Government support to deliver effective deer management planning as part of wider sustainable land use planning and delivery of public goods...

8 February 2010, LINK Wildlife Natural Environment, Correspondence

Letter to Minister, Wildlife and Natural Environment

Letter to Roseanna Cunningham MSP, Minsiter for Environment, outlining LINKs position on deer management and invasive non-nate species.

16 September 2009, ,

Oral Evidence on Public Services Reform (Scotland) Bill

LINK provided Oral Evidence on stage one of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Bill to the Scottish Parliament's Rural Affairs and Environment Committee. The Committee was specifically looking at sections 1 and 2, which propose the transfer to Scottish Natural Heritage of functions of the Deer Commission for Scotland and the Advisory Committee on Sites of Special Scientific Interest

3 September 2009, LINK Wildlife Natural Environment, Consultation Responses

Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill Consultation

Scottish Environment LINK response to the Scottish Government's consultation on the Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill.  This bill covers a wide range of areas including;  deer, game law, invasive non-native species, species licensing, snaring, badgers, muirburn and SSSI and protected area revisions. 

LINK also believes that this Bill allows the opportunity to look at legisaltion regarding permitted development and the biodiversity duty.

20 February 2009, LINK Deer Taskforce, Parliamentary Briefings

Proposed Deer Legislation

LINK's Deer taskforce has issued a breifing on proposals for updating deer legislation.  For LINK, the imperative is creating the circumstances in which sustainable deer management can take place.

16 December 2008, , Position Papers

Letter to Scottish Government regarding Natural Heritage Bill

Letter from LINKs Deer Taskforce to the Scottish Government welcoming plans to reform deer legisaltion under the proposed natural heritage bill

5 September 2008, LINK Deer Taskforce, Position Papers

Letter to Scottish Government regarding DCS SNH Merger Program Board

Letter to the Scottish Government regarding the merger of the Deer Commission for Scotland (DCS) with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). LINKs Deer Taskforce express disappointment over the decision not to include a representative from the non‐governmental Scottish environment sector on the merger board. 

12 February 2008, LINK Deer Taskforce, Position Papers

Thoughts on proposed merger between Deer Commission for Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage

Letter from the LINK Deer Taskforce to the Scottish Government regarding the proposed merger between the Deer Commission for Scotland (DCS) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)

1 February 2008, LINK Deer Taskforce, Consultation Responses

Joint Agency Strategy for Wild Deer in Scotland

LINK Deer Taskforce consultation response to the Joint Agency Strategy for Wild Deer in Scotland 

12 February 2006, LINK Deer Taskforce, Position Papers

Deer Management Planning in Scotland – A case for Stronger Measures

All species of wild deer are free-ranging wild animals belonging to no-one whilst alive. As a keystone species, they play a crucial role in the Scottish landscape, its biodiversity, culture and economy. However, since different interest groups favour different levels of deer population, they also give rise to controversy. The challenge is to find an effective means of agreeing appropriate population levels in each area, and ensuring that agreed levels are then achieved.

This paper from LINKs Deer Taskforce lays out the case for stronger deer management planning.

6 December 2005, LINK Deer Taskforce, Position Papers

Caenlochan Deer Numbers

Letter to Rhona Brankin, Deputy Minister for the Environment and Rural Development from the LINK Deer taskforce, voicing support for plans to reduce deer numbers at Caenlochan in the Cairngorms.

1 March 2003, LINK, Position Papers

For Better or Worse? Environment Policy in the First Four Years of Scotland’s Parliament.

The establishment of the new Scottish Parliament in 1999 brought not only new political institutions to Scotland, but also new aspirations and expectations of what might be achieved through the devolution settlement. Certainly the principle of devolution, and the specific powers vested in the Parliament, meant that it could address issues of importance to Scotland quicker than was previously the case, and with policies tailored specifically to Scottish needs and priorities.

This report, with input from many of the key players such as the Minister and Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development, examines the way in which the Scottish Parliament and Executive have risen to the particular challenges posed by the issues of Environment and Sustainability, whether through legislation, policies, strategies, initiatives, action plans, reports or debates.