The head of the Perth -based national gamekeeping body has written to Cairngorms officials seeking answers after estate members raised fears over their jobs due to tree planting and deer culling plans for the national park.
Gamekeepers and shepherds held an online protest last Wednesday urging the Cairngorms National Park Authority’s board to reconsider “extreme” elements of its five-year Partnership Plan.
The draft plan, provisionally unveiled in January, advocates a programme to increase grouse population, deer culls of up to 50 per cent (on top of current levels) and a major surge in tree planting, mostly unfenced, to help tackle climate change.
Should the plan be passed by the board, the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) say protesters feel it will spell the end for some residents’ jobs in gamekeeping and deer stalking because it will “further erode the viability of businesses operating in the country sports sector”.
SGA chairman Alex Hogg MBE has written to Cairngorms National Park Authority board convener Xander McDade expressing his concerns.
With huge tree planting being encouraged, the SGA wants to see the park’s evidence that schemes will actually lead to climate and net zero benefits.
In the letter, he asks: “What is the consultation process with park residents, such as rural land workers, before the proposals appear in the draft?
“This is the second draft plan where our members have been shocked at the contents.
“This, in their view, has cemented the feeling that agendas are being driven by influential officials within the park hierarchy rather than residents within the park, who are likely to be directly impacted.
“I urge the board to rethink extreme elements of the plan which will endanger the viability of rural businesses in our sector and place members’ jobs at risk.”
The 1748 square mile national park is Britain’s biggest and is twice the size of the Lake District National Park and larger than the whole of Luxembourg.
It includes parts of Perthshire as well as the Highlands, Aberdeenshire, Angus and Moray and is home to 18,000 people.
The proposals for deeper deer culls have caused tension in the park, with board officials seeking open hill deer densities of five to eight deer per square kilometre.
There are an estimated 30,000 red deer in open range in the park.
The Gamekeepers’ chairman fears the extent of the culls will lead to less humane deer management, as well as loss of deer stalking jobs.
In the letter, he adds: “We are constantly contacted by deer managers in the park who feel there is a better way than killing deer 24/7, all year round, when seasons were put in place to protect the welfare of an iconic species, much loved by the people of Scotland.
“It should be noted, for example, that night culling of deer is illegal across much of the EU, yet goes on within the park.
“Further culls of up to 50 per cent more again, with a preference against the use of fencing, will unquestionably place more stalking jobs at risk on estates, while increasing conflict.
“It also has the potential to be self-defeating if the Park wants to retain qualified deer managers, as it states.”
The online day of action, entitled ‘Protest in the Park’, was organised by Grampian Moorland Group, with support from rural concerns across the sporting and farming sector.
In response, Cairngorms National Park Authority convener Grant Moir said: “We received over 1400 responses to the consultation and, having read through each response individually, officers are now pulling together a full consultation report.
“This will be published alongside the final National Park Partnership Plan (NPPP) in June for consideration by the CNPA Board before going to Scottish ministers.
“In the meantime, CNPA staff and board are considering potential changes to the plan, in light of the feedback received. As always with a document of this nature, there will be a range of opinions on both sides of a number of issues and our job as a park authority is to listen to all sides of the argument and take a considered view of the best way forward, in line with the founding principles of the National Park and the policy priorities of Scottish Government.
“Whilst it is too early to say what the final changes to the plan will look like, the views of all respondents are being considered.
“We are grateful to all the people who took the time to respond to the consultation, including over 50 per cent of responses from people in the park and over 10 per cent of responses from land managers. This gives us an excellent picture of peoples priorities.
“Specifically on the management of red deer in open range, this is an important issue for the Cairngorms National Park.
“Red deer counts were carried out across the park last month and we are analysing that information at present.
“What it initially shows is that there are approximately 30,000 red deer in the open range and that many areas of the park are already in line with the proposed target – however, there remains significant areas that are substantially above.
“The intent is to work with Deer Management Groups that are significantly above the proposed target over the coming years, to reduce red deer impacts by 2030 to allow for peatland restoration, woodland expansion and heather recovery in these areas to tackle the twin biodiversity and climate crisis whilst supporting jobs in the sector.”
The Scottish Gamekeepers letter can be read on the group’s website.
