Today, the Scottish Government has announced its intention to ban the use of snares in Scotland, following decades of campaigning from Scottish animal welfare charity, OneKind.

OneKind strongly welcomes the Government’s proposal, which would put an end to the suffering of the wild, companion and farmed animals frequently trapped in cruel snares.

Snares are archaic traps used, in Scotland, primarily to protect birds such as grouse and pheasants from foxes, so there is a surplus of these birds for people to shoot for 'leisure’. However, snares are indiscriminate and often trap, injure and kill a wide range of non-target species including deer, badgers, lambs and even companion animals, such as cats and dogs.

OneKind Director, Bob Elliot, says:

"We are delighted that today the Scottish Government has finally announced their intention to consign snares to Scotland’s history books. The regulation of snares has failed to protect animals from the extreme physical and mental suffering caused by these archaic devices. Furthermore, 76% of the Scottish public support a snaring ban on the use and sale of snares. We are pleased that the Scottish Government has listened to the voices of Scotland’s people.

"Nothing short of a full ban will put an end to the suffering inflicted by snares. We urge the Scottish Government to make this ban watertight and not consider any exceptions to it.

"OneKind has campaigned for decades for a full ban on snares in Scotland. Indeed, late last year, we marched down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and rallied outside Parliament with hundreds of supporters, like-minded organisations, and MSPs, to call on the Scottish Government to introduce a snaring and real foxhunting ban. Now we have a commitment to ban the use of snares and legislation to end the ‘sport’ of foxhunting in Scotland".

Bob added:

"Scotland’s wild animals are sadly often considered to as ‘pests’ or ‘vermin’ and thus are routinely persecuted. By proposing a snaring ban, the Scottish Government is helping send a message that wild animals deserve protection. Of course, a complete shift in mindset in how we view wild animals - as sentient individuals rather than ‘vermin’ - is desperately needed, but today’s announcement shows we’re heading in the right direction".

OneKind’s Patron, Wildlife TV Presenter and Conservationist, Chris Packham, said:

"What excellent news, and a potential win for wildlife, today. These torture devices ought to have been banned a long time ago and I’m glad that the Scottish Government has finally recognised snares for the unacceptably cruel traps that they are.

"Snares inflict so much suffering on wild animals and so I’m delighted that both the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government have taken a stand against snares. The UK Government must not lag behind".

Notes to Editor

1. OneKind is Scotland’s leading animal campaigns charity working to end cruelty to Scotland’s animals. OneKind works to expose cruelty and persecution through investigations and research covering Scotland’s wild, farmed and companion animals. Find out more about our work at www.onekind.org.
2. OneKind’s SnareWatch website can be found here. Images can be used, with credit given to www.onekind.org/snarewatch.
3. Our SnareWatch Annual Report 2022 can be found here.
4. The Scottish Government passed the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill in January, which effectively put an end to the ‘sport’ of foxhunting by introducing a two-dog limit to flush foxes to the guns.
5. The Welsh Government passed a ban on the use of snares earlier this year.
6. Contact Eve Massie Bishop at: [email protected] or at: 0131 285 9859 for any media enquiries.