Consultation on wildlife legislation

The Scottish Government has launched a consultation to obtain views on potential reform to a number of areas of existing wildlife and natural environment legislation. It covers

• the management of wild deer
• the operation of the game laws
• invasive non-native species
• snaring
• the administration of licences to disturb animal, bird and plant species

The broad purpose of the consultation is to help develop proposals for legislative changes which will modernise outdated statute, address anomalies and weaknesses in current provision and enhance the sustainable management of the natural environment for the public interest. It is intended that the consultation will inform development of a Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill which will support sustainable economic activity, especially in the countryside, by ensuring that wildlife and natural environment legislation is efficient, effective and proportionate.

You can access the consultation document at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/1221/0082607.pdf

There is also a web presence which provides background information about the consultation. These pages be accessed at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Wildlife-Habitats/WildNatEnvBill

The deadline for responses to the consultation is Friday 4 September 2009.