Question reference: S5W-31605
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 4 September 2020
-
Current status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 1 October 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration was given to increasing deer fencing in September 2020 around tree plantations vulnerable to damage caused by red deer.
Answer
There is a place for well-targeted, limited deer fencing on Scotland’s national forests and land, however FLS already maintains around 2,250 km of deer fences, which it is looking to reduce, and its core focus remains strongly on the effective management of its wild deer populations.
In recent years FLS has spent around £250,000 annually on deer fencing. The agency Scottish Forestry has allocated around 70% (£13 million) of its grant expenditure to private land holdings over a five year period in relation to erecting, modifying or enhancing deer fences.
FLS has recently revised its deer fencing policy and has communicated this to a range of stakeholders via the Association of Deer Management Groups and their network of contacts. Any proposed deer fencing project on Scotland’s national forests and land must be accompanied by a supporting business case and the expectation is that costs will be shared with neighbouring landowners. Deer fencing projects must be delivered in conjunction with a reduction cull in order to prevent displacement of deer onto neighbouring land.
FLS’s preferred option for deer management is to work collaboratively with neighbouring land managers to reduce deer numbers and densities to sustainable levels and consequently to reduce deer damage impacts and the need for deer fencing.