Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Wildlife Management (Consequential Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 and come into force on 25 November 2024.

Amendment of the Spring Traps Approval (Scotland) Order 2011

2.  In the schedule of the Spring Traps Approval (Scotland) Order 2011( 2), omit entry 24 of the table (WCS Collarum Stainless UK Fox Model).

Revocations

3.  The following instruments are revoked—

(a) the Snares (Identification Numbers and Tags) (Scotland) Order 2012( 3),

(b) the Snares (Training) (Scotland) Order 2015( 4).

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations make consequential provision in connection with the commencement of section 6 of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 (“ the 2024 Act”).

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (“ the 1981 Act”) setting in position or otherwise using snares in certain circumstances (including when this did not cause unnecessary suffering to any animal coming into contact with it or under licence issued under section 16(3) of the 1981 Act) was still permitted in Scotland. Section 6 of the 2024 Act amends the 1981 Act to make it an offence to: set in position or otherwise use a snare for the purposes of killing any animal (other than a wild bird); set in position or otherwise use a snare (other than a snare that is operated by hand) for the purposes of capturing or taking any animal (other than a wild bird); use a snare which is of a nature or so placed (or both) so as to be likely to injure any animal (other than a wild bird); knowingly cause or permit any person to set or otherwise use a snare for the purpose of capturing or killing any animal (other than a wild bird). Snares operated by hand are still permitted for use on any animal (other than a wild bird) and by their nature would require a person to monitor and manually operate the snare. Section 6 also repeals sections 11A to 11F of the 1981 Act.

These Regulations revoke the Snares (Identification Numbers and Tags) (Scotland) Order 2012 and the Snares (Training) (Scotland) Order 2015. They also amend schedule of the Spring Traps Approval (Scotland) 2011 to remove the WCS Collarum from the list of approved spring traps.