Written evidence from Mr. Iain Hepburn (GRO0079)
Response from:
Iain Hepburn
Headkeeper, Dunmaglass Estate, Inverness-shire.
Grouse Shooting and the Law
I am a fifth generation keeper with my sons the sixth so consider my family to have shaped the landscape within which I see so much biodiversity. I believe the call to ban grouse shooting and licence game shooting in Scotland, stems from a perception of raptor persecution. This subject has not been fully researched with a tendency to automatically assume wrong doing which creates an unnecessary barrier between the true conservationists and those managing the land.
We already have stringent regulations with, for example traps and firearms. What we need moving forward is not more licencing and regulation but workable plans adapted to the circumstances of a local area and their particular issues. One size certainly doesn’t fit all and there needs to be flexibility to deal with localised issues beyond a blanket licence. Managed populations are seen to be successful eg. Red grouse, mountain hare and deer whereas unmanaged populations can thrive for a short time and then fail as they run out of a food source or destroy their own habitat through lack of management.
Grouse Shooting and Wildlife
Muirburn, tick control and predator control are all essential tools in maintaining a balance for various species beyond red grouse. Black grouse, Capercaillie, Deer, Hen Harrier, Golden Plover, Green Plover, Lapwing, Curlew, Sandpiper and Oystercatcher to name but a few all benefit from moorland management. Major populations of upland waders are found on managed grouse moors. What else would happen on these uplands if they were not managed for sport? There would be no capital investment in predator control or habitat management, at best perhaps a marginal sheep flock or tree planting provided there was no deep peat. Recreational usage is light in a lot of areas and there is seldom a hill walker or bird watcher to be seen by parties out on a shoot day.
The concern is that the majority of the voting public have no idea about the work that goes on and have no idea of the diversity of species present on a grouse moor. They are easily swayed by extremist views that are factually incorrect.
Grouse Shooting and Local Economy
As part of our local Loch Ness Rural Communities group we have taken a stand to educate those around us in our local communities about what those who live alongside them and work on the local farms and estates do. This has been met with genuine interest and if those on our own doorsteps understand what goes on then they will go on to explain to others. We established that there was £1.2 million in wages (full time, part time and seasonal) per year in the Loch Ness area directly from sporting estates with 47 full time and 14 part time employees.
Lots of estates employ younger under keepers with school aged families maintaining fragile rural school roles.