Green MSP Andy Wightman raises raven killing concerns

Mr Wightman claimed the consultation could give land managers permission to kill ravens "without recourse"

A consultation about the control of wild birds could pave the way for the "free slaughter" of ravens in Scotland, a Green MSP claims.

Andy Wightman said that plans to let land managers kill ravens "without recourse" were "hidden away" in the Scottish Natural Heritage document.

SNH said it was seeking public views on the levels of damage perceived to be caused by the birds.

It added that no decision on removing restrictions had been taken.

It is consulting on how it can improve its general licences which allow for the control of wild birds under specific circumstances.

The move has come in light of an ongoing legal challenge to the system in England.

Although the system is different in Scotland, SNH said it felt it was appropriate to make sure its licences took into account the implications of the challenge.

General licences allow birds to be controlled under specific circumstances

All wild birds are protected by law but, in some circumstances, SNH allows them to be controlled under licence.

Examples include preventing serious damage to crops, protecting public health and ensuring air safety when flocks of birds are liable to get in flight paths.

However, Mr Wightman claimed that the consultation saw ravens being considered for inclusion on an unmonitored general licence.

He said that meant they could be killed without having to apply for permission.

"This consultation was meant to be about improving protections for birds, but incredibly SNH has used it as a vehicle to allow the free slaughter of ravens, a protected species," he said.

"SNH is meant to protect Scotland's natural heritage but once again it has shown it is completely unable to stand up to vested interests."

'Ridiculous proposals'

He said he hoped they would walk away from the "ridiculous proposals".

SNH said it had launched the consultation to seek feedback on the most commonly used general licences which were in place to "ensure the conservation of wild birds, mitigate the damage to agricultural interests and protect public health and safety".

"As part of the consultation process we have asked for a range of views, including on the levels of damage perceived to be caused by ravens and greylag geese," a statement said.

"No decisions have been taken on removing licence restrictions on the killing of any wild birds, including ravens.

"We would encourage members of the public, practitioners and key interest groups to take part in the consultation."

A spokesperson for Scottish Land and Estates said: "Ravens can be a serious problem for sheep farmers, particularly at lambing time, by killing and pecking out eyes and soft tissue while sheep and lambs are alive.

"This problem has grown as raven numbers have increased. Currently, a farmer can apply for individual licences from SNH to control a specified number of ravens to protect their livestock and there is merit in considering whether that could be changed to a General Licence without impacting on the conservation status of the raven.

"We will supply information to the consultation on the impact of raven damage to livestock as requested by Scottish Natural Heritage."