Wildlife Crime in Scotland 2022

Trapping and Snaring - additional breakdown

Trapping and snaring are methods which can be legitimately used for the control of some types of wildlife such as corvids, rodents or foxes. This may be for conservation purposes, to protect agricultural or sporting interests or for human health and safety reasons. However, the use of traps and snares is subject to legal restrictions designed to prevent harm to non-target species or unnecessary cruelty.

Recorded crimes

Figure 23: Trapping and snaring offences increased from 22 in 2020-21 to 31 in 2021-22

Trapping and snaring offences, 2017-18 to 2021-22

Figure 23 shows the number of offences that involved trapping and snaring and is a further breakdown of the data already presented in this section of the report (Wildlife crime priority areas). None of the trapping and snaring offences in 2021-22 related to a priority area hence all were included in the “not aligned to a priority area” data presented earlier in Figure 14. 

Of the 31 offences in 2021-22, 21 related to the use of snares, with the remaining 10 involving the use of traps / cages. For many offences the target species was unknown, although the species was identified in some cases (e.g. foxes; magpies / crows).

Further detail: on trapping and snaring offences by police division, type of trap/snare, target species and time of year is provided in tables 37 and 38 of the Tables supporting document.