EUROPE’S LARGEST private landowner has said fox hunting is an “important fabric of rural life” and wants to see it “thrive”.
The Duke of Buccleuch, Richard Scott, claims that the practice “knits” people together living in rural communities.
In 2002 the pursuit of killing foxes with hounds was banned in Scotland, however, dogs are still permitted during mounted hunts flush out foxes which are then shot.
The 10th Duke of Buccleuch – who owns an estimated 280,000 acres of land in Scotland – has said there is a future for hunting in the country.
Speaking with the Scottish Field magazine today (FRI) he said: “The local hunt bears my family name, the Duke of Buccleuch, and I’m privileged to be honorary master of it.
“Although I don’t hunt hunt any longer myself, I am very interested in it continuing to thrive.
The duke, owner of Drumlanrig Castle in Thornhill, near Dumfries, added: “I think it is such an important fabric of our rural life.
“It knits people together and I am thrilled that there are so many young people still taking up hunting as it is a wonderful opportunity to corners of the beautiful Borders landscape which people otherwise would never get to.
“It’s only on the back of a horse that you really get a true understanding of the lie of the land.”
In the fifteen years since the Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act was introduced, hunters have claimed that there has been an increase in the number of foxes being killed than before the ban.
A loophole in the legislation means that hounds can be used to chase out foxes for marksmen for protection of livestock, pest control or ground nesting birds.
Last year Lord Bonomy, a Supreme Court judge, reviewed the act and came to the conclusion that “aspects and features of the legislation” complicate “unduly the detection, investigation and prosecution of alleged offences.”
Whilst last week Green MSP for Lothian, Alison Johnstone, said she intends to bring forward a member’s bill in Holyrood which would shutdown loopholes in the law.
The MSP said: “Polling shows many Scots are in favour of a full ban.
“The practise of ‘flushing’ foxes with packs of dogs to waiting guns is, in many cases, hunting with dogs with another name.”
Robbie Marsland, Director of the League Against Cruel Sports Scotland said:”To claim that pursuing and brutally killing wild mammals with hounds for sport helps, ‘knit people together in rural communities’ is clearly at odds with repeated polling that shows that over 80% of people in urban and rural Scotland are opposed to fox hunting.”
“The League is working with the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government to strengthen the existing legislation to really ban hunting in Scotland in line with both public and political will.”
Sarah Moyes, OneKind Campaigner said: “Fox hunting was meant to have been banned in Scotland in 2002, but these comments demonstrate that this so-called sport is alive and well in Scotland.
“The Scottish public overwhelmingly oppose fox hunting in rural as well as urban areas.
“A real ban would mean that those involved in hunts could adopt less divisive pastimes that communities could genuinely get behind, such as drag hunting, a genuine sport that involves no animal cruelty.
“It’s a crucial time for the fox hunting debate in Scotland as we not only have a public consultation out proposals to tighten the ban, but we’re delighted to see Green MSP Alison Johnstone propose a bill that would end fox hunting in Scotland for once and for all.”
