O ver view of t he W il dl if e & Nat ur al Envir onment - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

O ver view of t he W il dl if e & Nat ur al Envir onment (Scot l and) Act 2011

Pr of . Col in T. R eid School of Law, Univer sit y of Dundee

Hist or y of Act

• No singl e vision or sour ce

– UK R eview of Non-Nat ive Species Legisl at ion and Guidance in 2001 – l ef t -over s f r om debat es on Nat ur e Conser vat ion (Scot l and) Act 2004 – issues ar ising f r om mer ger of Deer Commission f or Scot l and wit h Scot t ish Nat ur al Her it age

• Consul t at ion Docum

ent in J une 2009

• St akehol der meet ings
• Sever al pr oposal s dr opped

– dut y t o manage deer sust ainabl y, changes in t he l aw on shoot ing deer at night , specif ic

• f f ence of t amper ing wit h snar es, t ight er

cont r ol s on some f or ms of muir bur n

Debat es

• Ver y f ul l evidence sessions at St age

1 in Par l iam ent

• Big issue of whet her l andowner s

shoul d be l iabl e f or cr imes by t heir empl oyees/agent s

– incl uded in Act

• Pot ent ial f or convict ion by singl e

wit ness wit hout cor r obor at ion usual l y r equir ed

– necessar y, point l ess or just seek consist ency?

CAUTIO N !!

• Cur r ent l y in ver y danger ous per iod
• some of Act came int o f or ce on 29

J une 2011

• f ur t her pr ovisions on 1 August 2011
• ot her s st il l t o come (e.g. non-nat ive

species)

– no dat es announced (as at ear l y August )

• Be car ef ul !

Game

• Abol ishes exist ing special r ul es on game

and poaching

– ser ies of Act s f r om 1772

• Game bir ds br ought wit hin r ul es in W

il dl if e and Count r yside Act 1981 Act

– pr ovisions t o al l ow shoot ing, cl ose seasons, sal e and capt ive r ear ing of some species – of f ence t o kil l or t ake bir d unl ess l egal r ight t o do so or per mission f r om per son wit h t hat r ight

• Abol ishes game l icences

– bot h f or kil l ing and t aking and f or sel l ing

Har es and R abbit s

• Cl ose seasons f or mount ain har es (M

ar ch- J ul y) and br own har es (Febr uar y-Sept ember )

– can or der shor t -t er m pr ot ect ion out side cl ose season

• O

wner or occupier can act t o pr event ser ious damage t o l ivest ock, cr ops, veget abl es et c.

– but not if need f or act ion appar ent in advance and no l icence sought

• O

f f ence t o kil l or t ake har es or r abbit s unl ess l egal r ight t o do so or per m ission f r om per son wit h t hat r ight

– of f ence t o sel l or possess har es or r abbit s t aken unl awf ul l y

Poaching

• Al l special r ul es on poaching abol ished

al ong wit h r el at ed of f ences of t r espassing

• R

emoves power s of l andowner s t o appr ehend suspect ed poacher s

• M

ajor shif t f r om l aws on poaching dat ing f r om 18t h and 19t h cent ur ies which put l andowner s at cent r e of t he l aw

• Now cover ed by r ul es pr ohibit ing kil l ing or

t aking bir ds and animal s wit hout per mission

• f per son wit h l egal r ight t o do so

– suppor t ed by exist ing enf or cement power s under t he 1981 Act

Landowner s’ Liabil it y

• Added af t er a l ot of debat e bef or e

Comm it t ee

• Per son wit h r ight t o hunt bir ds guil t y if

som ebody com mit s cr ime whil e act ing as em pl oyee or agent

• Def ence if :

– did not know of f ence being commit t ed, and – al l r easonabl e st eps and al l due dil igence t o pr event of f ence

• Cover s main of f ences of kil l ing wil d bir ds,

dest r oying nest s, dist ur bing pr ot ect ed

Snar es

• Cont inuing debat es since 2004 Act
• New r ul es incor por at e t hose

int r oduced by Snar es (Scot l and) O r der 2010

• Act r equir es r eview of snar ing ever y

f ive year s

• O

f f ences t o set snar e wit hout per m ission of owner or occupier

• and t o be on any l and in possession of

Snar es: Suf f er ing

• O

f f ence t o set snar e wher e cal cul at ed t o cause unnecessar y suf f er ing

– st ops on noose, set f or f ox (23 cm ) or ot her anim al s (13 cm ) – st aked t o gr ound or f ixed t o pr event dr agging – not so t hat animal l ikel y t o become suspended or dr own

• Dut y t o inspect at l east ever y 24 hour s

– r el ease or r em

• ve any animal caught and

ensur e snar e st il l f r ee-r unning

Snar e Ident if icat ion

• Tag on snar e wit h ident if icat ion number
• f per son who set it

– and specif ying if set f or f oxes or br own har es or r abbit s

• Ident if icat ion number issued by chief

const abl e

– m ust gr ant t his if sat isf ied per son t r ained t o set snar es – number not r est r ict ed t o singl e pol ice ar ea – M inist er ial O r der s t o f ol l ow wit h det ail s of t r aining, appl icat ion pr ocess and f ee, t ags

• Pr esume t hat snar e set by per son whose

num ber appear s on it

Non-nat ive species

• O

f f ence t o r el ease or al l ow t o escape any anim al in a pl ace out wit h it s nat ive r ange

– except ion f or comm

• n pheasant and r ed-

l egged par t r idge r el eased f or shoot ing

• O

f f ence t o pl ant or cause t o gr ow any pl ant in t he wil d out wit h it s nat ive r ange

• Idea of nat ive r ange cover s isl ands or

l ochs wher e animal nat ive t o Scot l and m ay not be pr esent

Code of Pr act ice

• Im

por t ant r ol e t o be pl ayed by Code of Pr act ice

– dr af t issued in spr ing wit h com ment s due by J une

• W

het her per son com pl ied wit h Code can be r el ied on in est abl ishing l iabil it y

• Dr af t guidance st il l ver y vague on m

any point s

– specif ic on f al conr y and f er r et ing – vague on “in t he wil d” f or pl ant s – danger of mism at ch bet ween what ser ves

Invasive Non-nat ive Species

• O

f f ence simpl y t o keep or possess cer t ain invasive non-nat ive species l ist ed by Minist er

– r educes r isk of escapes of har mf ul species – def ence of r easonabl e st eps and al l due dil igence

• Minist er s can make or der r equir ing

not if icat ion of pr esence of cer t ain non-nat ive species

– Pol icy Memor andum suggest s wil l be appl ied onl y t o of f icial s and

Cont r ol O r der s

• O

r der act ion against invasive animal s

• r pl ant s

– if l ikel y t o have a signif icant adver se impact on biodiver sit y, envir onm ent al int er est s, social or economic int er est s

• Power s t o M

inist er s, SNH, SEPA, For est r y Comm ission

• O

nl y wher e agr eem ent of f er ed t o cont r ol or er adicat e species and no agr eem ent r eached, or non-com pl iance

– or cannot t r ace owner or occupier t o make

• f f er

– or emer gency (or der l ast s onl y 49 days)

Cont r ol O r der s (2)

• O

r der specif ies act ion t o be t aken against species

• Det ail s on f or ms of not ice et c.
• Appeal t o sher if f against or der
• O

f f ence if f ail t o compl y

• Aut hor it y can st ep in and t ake act ion

it sel f and r ecover cost s

– power s of ent r y, incl uding t o see whet her or der shoul d be made

Licensing

• Licences t o gr ant except ions t o 1981

Act

– widen pur poses of l icences t o incl ude “any ot her social , economic or envir onment al pur pose” – so l ong as cont r ibut e t o signif icant benef it in t hose ar eas and no ot her sat isf act or y sol ut ion

• Al l l icensing init ial l y in hands of

Scot t ish Minist er s

– but gener al power t o del egat e t o SNH or l ocal aut hor it y – by wr it t en dir ect ion and consul t SNH

Deer

• M

er ger of Deer Com m ission f or Scot l and and SNH pr ovided f or in Publ ic Ser vices R ef or m (Scot l and) Act 2010 (in f or ce August 2010)

• Deer f unct ions now ext ended t o incl ude

int er est s of publ ic saf et y and m anagement of deer in ur ban and per i- ur ban ar eas

• St at ut or y Code of Pr act ice

– made by SNH f ol l owing consul t at ions and appr oved by Minist er s – dr af t in May seeking com ment s by J ul y

Deer Cont r ol

• SNH t o have r egar d t o Code of Pr act ice
• Number of changes f or deer cont r ol

agr eement s and schem es

– cover publ ic int er est s of a social , economic or envir onment al nat ur e – r ef er t o deer management , not just r educt ion

• f number of deer

– annual r eview of agr eement s and schemes t o assess compl iance – adjust ment s t o when move f r om of f er of agr eement t o cont r ol scheme so t hat same basis appl ies – r emoval of r ul e saying t hat owner cannot be r equir ed t o const r uct f ences

Deer : Cl ose Seasons

• Com

mission/SNH can aut hor ise act ion dur ing cl ose season t o pr event dam age, not just “ser ious damage”, t o cr ops, woodl and et c.

• R

emove r ight of occupier s t o act wit hout aut hor isat ion against deer ser iousl y damaging t heir l and

• O

ccupier s, empl oyees et c. not subject t o f it and com pet ent per son scr ut iny t o be aut hor ised

Compet ence t o Shoot Deer

• Enabl ing power f or r egist er of peopl e

compet ent t o shoot deer

– onl y l egal t o shoot deer if r egist er ed or super vised by r egist er ed per son

• Regul at ions t o be m

ade on

– who keeps r egist er – pr ocess and cr it er ia f or r egist r at ion – r em

• val f r om r egist er

– appeal s – what count s as super vision – cul l r et ur ns

• If power not exer cised by Apr il 2014, SNH t o

r eview com pet ence of t hose who shoot deer and impact on deer wel f ar e

Badger s

• Tidies up inconsist encies bet ween l aw

in Pr ot ect ion of Badger s Act 1992 and as adjust ed by Nat ur e Conser vat ion (Scot l and) Act 2004 and Act

– appl icat ion of l iabil it y f or knowingl y causing or per mit t ing of f ences – penal t ies – who gr ant s l icences

Muir bur n

• Pr ovision t o al t er muir bur n season al r eady

incl uded in Cl imat e Change (Scot l and) Act 2009

• St andar d season now l ef t unchanged, but

ext ended season ends on 30 Apr il and no dist inct ion based on height of l and

• But wide power t o al t er f ur t her and on

f l exibl e basis

• Power t o gr ant l icence f or m

uir bur n out side t he season

– f or conser ving or managing t he nat ur al envir onment , r esear ch or publ ic saf et y

Muir bur n: Not ice

• Not ice t o owner of sit e and occupier s

wit hin 1km (not ice in pr ess wher e m

• r e

t han 10 of t hese)

– Not ice of int ent ion t o car r y out muir bur n given af t er end of pr evious season and at l east 7 days bef or e t akes pl ace – but f ul l det ail s of specif ic dat e and sit es ar e t o be given onl y on r equest – must m ake r easonabl e ef f or t s t o compl y wit h such r equest bef or e t he end of t he day pr eceding t he muir bur n – ext ends m et hods of giving not ice

Sit es of Special Scient if ic Int er est

• Easier pr ocedur e

– t o combine SSSIs – t o denot if y SSSI af t er damage caused by

• per at ions dul y aut hor ised by a publ ic body
• R

equir es publ ic body t o get consent f r om SNH wher e per m it t ing t hir d par t y t o car r y out oper at ion r at her t han doing it it sel f

• R

emoves need f or specif ic consent f or

• per at ions wher e im

pact al r eady consider ed

– as par t of deer cont r ol scheme – pot ent ial t o add f ur t her inst ances

SSSI Enf or cement

• R

est or at ion Not ice f ol l owing unl awf ul act ion

• Issued by SNH, not by cour t
• Pr opose not ice and it t akes ef f ect if

per son r esponsibl e not if ies int ent ion t o compl y

• Cannot pr osecut e in r el at ion t o t he

incident concer ned whil e not ice has ef f ect

• But separ at e of f ence of f ail ing t o compl y

wit h r est or at ion not ice

Biodiver sit y

• Publ ic bodies t o r epor t ever y t hr ee

year s on act ions t aken in pur suance

• f biodiver sit y dut y

– dut y t o f ur t her conser vat ion of biodiver sit y under Nat ur e Conser vat ion Act 2004, s.1

• Ar eas of Special Pr ot ect ion

abol ished

St at ed Aims of Bil l

• Thr ee key t hemes ident if ied by R
• seanna

Cunningham , MSP, Minist er f or Envir onm ent

• Bal ance
• Moder nising
• W

el f ar e of W il d Anim al s

• But no r eal unif ying vision

– t idying up what l aw al r eady says, r at her t han st epping back t o view our r el at ionship wit h nat ur e – big issues st il l unr esol ved, such as r egist er of com pet ence t o shoot deer

Bal ance

• Pr obabl y depends on point of view
• No consensus acr oss societ y of bal ance

bet ween var ious int er est s in t he count r yside

– shown by f act t hat debat es on changes t o snar ing st ar t ed bef or e 2004 Act and onl y now r eaching a l egisl at ive concl usion

• O

ver al l Act imposes mor e obl igat ions on

• wner s and occupier s of l and f or

benef it t o biodiver sit y

– ar e t hese pr opor t ionat e and ef f icient ? – how do t hey f it wit h ef f ect of ot her pol icies?

Moder nising

• Gam

e l aws def init el y in need of r ef or m

• No disput e over benef it of ending

f r agment at ion

• Many saw ol d l aw as r espect ing

anachr onist ic pr ivil ege of l and-

• wning cl asses

W el f ar e of W il d Animal s

• W

el f ar e concer ns cl ear est in snar ing pr ovisions

• But coul d ar gue t hat cont r ol s on deer

and non-nat ive species ar e against wel f ar e of t hese individual cr eat ur es

• Even wit hin t his ar ea no consensus

– avoid unnecessar y dir ect pain and suf f er ing – but what is necessar y? – is snar ing ever accept abl e? – f ocus on ever y individual , or concer n f or biodiver sit y and pr ot ect ing nat ive ecosyst em?

Fr agment at ion & Uncer t aint y

• Som

e ver y wel com e t idying up, e.g. gam e

• But need f or f ur t her consol idat ion

– W il dl if e and Count r yside Act 1981 is whol l y unf it f or use, wit h so many amendm ent s and dif f er ent ver sions of same sect ion f or Scot l and and r est of Gr eat Br it ain

• Lot s l ef t f or del egat ed l egisl at ion or

in Codes

– r egist r at ion of per sons compet ent t o shoot deer – vit al r ol e of Code of Pr act ice in ef f ect def ining l im it s of cr im inal l iabil it y f or non- nat ive species

• Not cur ing f undament al pr obl em

t hat l aw compl ex

• Har d t o piece t oget her and

under st and

• Ther ef or e har d t o f ol l ow and t o

enf or ce

• But maybe just r ef l ect ing compl exit y
• f t he nat ur al wor l d and our

r el at ionship wit h it

– pr act ical , economic, emot ional and

O ver view of t he W il dl if e & Nat ur al Envir onment (Scot l and) Act 2011

Pr of . Col in T. R eid School of Law, Univer sit y of Dundee c.t .r eid@dundee.ac.uk