Wildlife crime penalties to be strengthened by environment minister Aileen McLeod

People who commit crimes against wildlife in Scotland could face fines of up to £40,000 or 12 months in prison after the Scottish Government accepted the recommendations of a review group on the subject.

The review group, established in 2013 and chaired by Professor Mark Poustie of the University of Strathclyde, published its recommendations last week. It concluded the existing penalties were not a sufficient deterrent for criminals.

The confiscation of firearms used illegally against wildlife is also recommended, but remains a complicated law, most of which is reserved to Westminster. In its formal response, the Scottish Government said it was “long-overdue for reform” and would “explore what scope there would be for change”.

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Environment minister Dr Aileen McLeod thanked the review group and said while Scotland already has the strongest wildlife legislation in the UK, more was needed to prevent extinction and cruelty.

“Wildlife crime has no place in modern Scotland, this is why I have decided to increase the maximum available penalties to bring wildlife offences into line with other environmental crimes.

“It is important we have appropriate penalties that deter criminality but also reflect the impact these crimes can have on our environment and Scotland’s reputation as a wildlife tourism destination,” she said.