Snaring: review - February 2022

6. Conclusions

Consideration was given to all of the information made available (through COPFS, Police Scotland, the TAG, the approved training bodies and that provided by SSPCA, Scottish Badgers, OneKind) in respect to Section 11 of WCA (as amended by the WANE Act 2011), and in accordance to the requirements in Section 11F of the same Act.

The number of reported incidents of snaring-related offences during the review period (2017-2021) has reduced compared to the previous review (2012-2016). Although the number of cases notified to the SSPCA is still high.

Feedback from the approved training bodies indicates that the administration procedure for obtaining a snaring ID number from Police Scotland is satisfactory.

The outstanding recommendations from the Snaring Review undertaken in 2017 should be introduced as soon as a suitable legislative route can be taken.

Snaring in Scotland – A Practitioners' Guide, has been updated with the relevant recommendations from the 2016 Snaring Review.

Given the continuing concerns regarding the welfare of animals caught in snares, a wider review of snaring should be undertaken as soon as is practicable.

The Review Group should assess the following points further:

• Temporary revoking snaring ID number and refresher courses for snaring operators for some minor breaches of some of the snaring legislation, such as failure to keep records etc.
• Clarify the position, and amend legislation if necessary, that permission may be given for other persons to check snares other than the identified operator and that whoever sets the snare is responsible for it when set even if it is checked by another person, and whether or not persons checking snares needs a snaring ID number.