Up until recently, Government figures showed that an average of 26,000 mountain hares are killed across Scotland each year. Thanks to campaigning efforts from REVIVE coalition partners and beyond, an amendment to a bill in Parliament by Alison Johnstone MSP made mountain hares a protected species. This means they can not legally be killed except with a licence - permission from the Scottish Government body NatureScot. Killing them for sport is banned.
Some were killed as part of localised 'culls' on shooting estates and others were killed on these estates for sport. However, the scale of the culling was believed to have increased as part of the intensification of grouse moor management.
The mountain hare is Britain's only native hare and has an important ecological role in the uplands, especially as a source of prey for top predators of conservation concern such as golden and white-tailed eagles.
A recent long-term study by the Centre of Ecology & Hydrology and the RSPB has shown that mountain hare populations were at around 1% of 1950s levels with moorland sites experiencing the fastest rates of decline since the beginning of this century.
The timing of this recent catastrophic decline coincides with the onset of widespread culling of mountain hares to seek to limit the spread of Louping-ill to red grouse.
Up until recently Mountain hares are only currently protected during the closed season between 1 March and 31 July although they were still killed outwith that time under license from NatureScot.
Mountain hare persecution
Why have they been killed?
Louping-ill virus
Mountain hares have been killed for a variety of given reasons including to protect forestry interests and for recreational sport shooting, but overwhelmingly on driven grouse moors to seek to control the viral disease ‘Louping-ill’ (LIV) in red grouse.
LIV can be transmitted by ticks that are hosted by mountain hares and other mammals and can affect grouse chick mortality. However, as recent studies have explained, there is no compelling evidence that culling mountain hares reduces the density of red grouse.
Evidence of mass culling
In March 2018 a consortium of campaigners from OneKind, League Against Cruel Sports Scotland and Lush released video footage of “brutal, military-style culls” of mountain hares that had been filmed on a number of driven grouse moors a few weeks earlier
The political response that led to the ban
Following the footage Alison Johnstone MSP raised the issue in Parliament on March 29 2018, asking whether the Scottish Government would introduce new legal protection for the iconic mountain hare. The First Minister responded by explaining that the Government will explore all available options to prevent mass culling including legislation and a licensing scheme.
The REVIVE coalition campaigned herd to ensure that mass culling of mountain hares comes to an end.
Recommendations
- Prohibit mountain hare killing except under licence all year round – Achieved
- Strengthen and bring transparency to the licencing arrangements – Process ongoing
