Environmentalists demonstrating in Dundee against the start of the grouse shooting season claim the “brutalisation” of land is partly to blame for the fatal Stonehaven train crash last year.
Extinction Rebellion demonstrators at Dundee Airport on Thursday blame the preparation of local estates for blood sports lies behind the degradation of the land that led to the landslip.
A spokeswoman for the group said: “The inglorious 12th August is the start of the grouse-shooting season in the UK when the elite few head for the hills.
“Shooting creatures for fun may seem distasteful to most of us, but it is the wider land management that lies behind it that has caused serious ecosystem damage.”
She added: “A year ago, a landslip near Stonehaven caused the derailment of a train, killing three people.
“Land management, as well as extreme weather due to the climate emergency, undoubtedly contributed to this disaster.
“Only by allowing the uplands to re-wild and diversify can we build resilience and prevent further loss of life.”
The land is ‘scarred and brutalised’
Extinction Rebellion said that Dundee Airport is the site for their demonstration as it is the handiest airport for shooters to access these estates causing concern.
Shooters from various countries in Europe regularly travel to country estates in Scotland, particularly in Angus, for the grouse shooting season.
She added: “Grouse-shooters want to be able to shoot lots of grouse without the annoyance of having to search for them, so shooting estates are artificially managed to raise the density of grouse by increasing food availability.
“There are extensive estates also managed for grouse that are not within a national park, such as Invermark, Glen Clova, Glen Ogil, Kinnettles and Glen Prosen.
“A glance at the satellite imagery of these areas makes clear how scarred and brutalised the land is.”
Second group call for ban
Meanwhile, animal welfare campaign charity OneKind has also called for an end to driven grouse shooting.
Its director, Bob Elliot, said: “Today marks the Inglorious 12th — a day where the routine killing of thousands of animals begins.
“Across Scotland’s grouse moors, red grouse will be shot for ‘fun’ and predators to red grouse, such as foxes and stoats, will be trapped, shot and snared.
“While not target animals, domestic animals, such as cats and dogs, are also sometimes injured or killed by these indiscriminate and antiquated traps.
“There is little regulation so gamekeepers can kill many animals without justification or scrutiny. ”
He added: “OneKind maintains that only a complete ban can end the widespread suffering of the thousands of animals.
“It is time this cruel ‘sport’, which is enjoyed by only a small minority in Scotland was banned.”
TV environmentalist Chris Packham is also calling for the end to grouse shooting.
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