Question reference: S5W-31603
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 4 September 2020
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Current status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 September 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) research was undertaken and (b) assessments were carried out in (i) local and (ii) national forests prior to the policy decision to kill lactating female red and roe deer, some with dependent calves, from 1 September 2020.
Answer
Wild deer numbers in Scotland have increased in recent years and are now thought to be nearing 1 million as noted in the Independent Deer Working Group’s report in December 2019. The Scottish Government has not changed its policy regarding the authorisation for the culling of female deer during the closed season since the introduction of the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011.