The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 2045 contributions
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Jim Fairlie
Do you have a limit? Last week, officials said that they thought that a loss level of 10 per cent was an acceptable level at which to take action. Do you have a limit, whereby you say, “Okay—you’ve now had so many lambs killed that we’ll do something about it,” or is it an immediate response?
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Jim Fairlie
Okay, but the primary function of your in-hand farming is not to be profitable; it is to—
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Jim Fairlie
I will come back with another question later on.
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Jim Fairlie
This is purely an observation, but I would say that the groups involved are coming at this from different environments. I absolutely take on board everything that the RSPB does, Duncan, but although we might be talking about a particular land mass, the environment that you are concerned with and the objectives that you are working towards are just not the same as those for land managers. Is that not a fair point?
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Jim Fairlie
But you have no foxes on Islay.
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Jim Fairlie
Okay. Thank you.
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Jim Fairlie
But the use of a ferret and two lurchers, or another dog, is still very much a viable method of controlling rabbit numbers.
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Jim Fairlie
How do you feel about the 14-day limit that is in place? How would you like that to be amended?
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Jim Fairlie
That would be a seasonal licence, as opposed to an individual licence for every hunt.
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Meeting date: 8 June 2022
Jim Fairlie
We will come on to that later. I am specifically asking about hunting with dogs for foxes. Are you saying that 14 days will not work?