Environmental charities have welcomed evidence submitted to the Scottish Parliament outlining concerns about the impact that deer are having on the country's natural heritage. The evidence submitted to the Rural Affairs Climate Change and Environment Committee by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Forest Enterprise, the Cairngorms National Park Authority and former Chairman of the Deer Commission, Professor John Milne – comes ahead of the committee’s consideration of the issue today (Wednesday 19 November).
Mike Daniels, head of land and science at the John Muir Trust, gave evidence to the committee last week alongside RSPB Scotland and the Scottish Wildlife Trust. He said: ‘High numbers of deer are having a major impact on woodlands and other important habitats across Scotland, with serious implications for our biodiversity. The evidence provided by these public bodies very much supports this view. We agree with SNH’s assessment that more action is needed by land managers and public bodies to reduce deer numbers to ensure that ecosystems and associated public benefits are enhanced.’
Maggie Keegan, head of policy at the Scottish Wildlife Trust added: ‘We welcome the evidence submitted by statutory agencies such as SNH. It’s clear that we are all saying the same things; namely, that deer have a major impact on Scotland’s natural heritage, both within protected sites and the wider countryside, and that more needs to be done by all those involved in deer management to ensure that we strike the right balance between public and private interests.’
Duncan Orr-Ewing, RSPB Scotland Head of Species and Land Management, said: ‘Not only are high deer numbers and the current failures of deer management impacting our natural heritage, they’re also impacting government policies on woodland expansion, biodiversity and climate change. This is a serious issue that needs to be tackled and we’re pleased to see broad agreement on this issue among key public bodies.’
For more information on deer impacts and managing deer, see the latest film from the John Muir Trust.