Deer To Be Shot In Scotland
Scottish Natural Heritage, which works with the Scottish government, is set to kill deer by shooting them from helicopters; a recent report from the BBC has said. Even the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, has criticized the plan to shoot deer from the sky.
The Farmers Weekly brands the move as ‘shameful’. Although, the Scottish Gamekeepers Association is in favour of ‘controlling’ and ‘culling’ deer.
Deer Persecuted For Years
The deer cull in Scotland isn’t new and has been going on for years. What Farmers Weekly has also highlighted about these cull on deers, is that the culls are highly stressful for the deers and they have been rounded up and have waited for over an hour to be killed; which has contributed to the stress the deers endure. These deers have also been injured, which would have prolonged their agony.
Almost Half A Million Deer ‘Culled’
There are almost half a million deers being culled in the UK each year; 350,000 deers are culled each year. However, there has been calls for there to be up to 750,000 deer culls each year. There is thought to be around 1.5 million deers in the UK. The Harm Of ‘Culling’ Deer Proponents of culling wild animals such as deers, will argue that populations need to be controlled to protect other wild animals. However, a study done Biodiversity Research and Conservation, supported by the European Commission found that deer culls weren’t effective. But then, why would there be a cull on animals like deer if it isn’t effective? Probably because this industry is worth £170 million in Scotland alone, according to the government. The culling industry is worth £170 million to the government and gamekeepers, yet, it’s both the government and the gamekeepers who are the main cheerleaders of culling. Do you see the problem? The other problem, is that deers are being scapegoated.
Deforestation, Not Deers, Is The Threat Deers are being scapegoated as the problem; proponents of the deer cull argue that the overpopulation of deers is ‘causing damage to our woodlands’. Yet, the same National trust which said this, has repeatedly sold off land to developers there are two examples here and here, of it doing so. Not to mention that the same National Trust allows hunts on its lands.
Furthermore, the Scottish government since 2007 has destroyed millions of trees to install windfarms. The Scottish government has significantly contributed to deforestation within Scotland, the deers weren’t available for comment, but I couldn’t find any evidence that millions of trees were destroyed by them. The millions of trees felled for windfarms in Scotland by the Scottish government, has been more harmful for woodlands than deers.