Crofters blast out of season deer cull plan
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WILDLAND charity the John Muir Trust (JMT) has come under fresh fire in the ongoing furore over its plan to increase the number of stags culled on its north west Sutherland estate, in order to protect native woodland.
Neighbouring landowner Andy Hibbert, of Loch Assynt Lodge, last week condemned JMT’s proposal to up its stag cull on the 9140 acre Quinag estate.
With the stag season due to close next Saturday (20th October) any increased cull would have to take place out of season.
Mr Hibbert claimed that it would not only impact on other landowners, who share the deer population, but also affect the local economy and put off tourists, many of whom visit the area to see deer.
It also emerged last week that Assynt Community Council had asked JMT to send a representative to a public meeting to explain their intentions.
Now, two other neighbouring landowners, Jim Payne of Ardvar Estate, and Assynt Crofters Trust, owners of North Assynt Estate, have entered the fray.
And in another new development, MP John Thurso is also being drawn into the row.
In a letter to The Northern Times (see P6) Mr Payne explains that Ardvar and Quinag shared a common deer herd which, until May this year, had been managed by Ardvar.
He stated: "The average number of stags culled in the last three years has been 25 on the two estates."
He explained that Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) had proposed a cull this year of 20 stags off Ardvar and 25 stags off Quinag.
"JMT do not agree their cull should be capped at 25 stags and wish to go on culling out of season and have proposed up to 100 stags off both estates. Ardvar do not cull out of season," he stated.
Mr Payne confirmed there was a need to address the problem of deer damaging Ardvar Woodlands, designated a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
But he pointed out that JMT was opposed to fencing and intended to increase their deer culls to reduce the impact of deer browsing.
Assynt Crofters’ Trust purchased the 21,000 acres North Assynt Estate in a historic buy-out in 1992.
Trust chairman Allan Macrae said JMT’s proposal to increase the stag cull across Quinag and Ardvar was "very worrying indeed."
"I think JMT should give the public an explanation. This is an organisation that is supported by a huge amount of public money of one kind or another," he said.
"They talk about protecting wild land but have scant respect for the animals living there."
Mr Macrae added: "This obsession with native trees is getting out of perspective. Nothing must stand in the way of their protection, regardless of the impact that has on the local community. It is just not good enough.
"When you criticise conservation policies, you are walking a tight rope. The wider public will swallow anything that is done in the name of conservation. They are willing to take it at face value and it is local communities that suffer the consequences."
SNH’s north area deer management officer Sinclair Coghill explained that both Ardvar and JMT had signed up to a "Section 7" agreement with SNH, covering the improvement and management of the Ardvar Woodlands.
He confirmed that two estates had been advised by SNH that their combined stag cull should be 45 stags and 100 hinds.
He said JMT had indicated they felt a higher cull was necessary.
Mr Coghill said: "We’ve agreed as a stop gap measure that both Quinag and Ardvar will share their cull numbers with us weekly throughout the season so that everyone is clear what is going on.
"The numbers that have been culled to date are not even close to the numbers we have suggested collectively. Quinag have so far culled 17 stags and Ardvar 16.
He continued: "We’ve asked that both Quinag and Ardvar clarify their positions before SNH considers regulatory measures. There are powers that we are able to use under the agreement we have with both estates."
Assynt Community Council chairman Roddie Kerr told the NT that he had received a standard reply from JMT acknowledging the letter he had sent asking them to send a representatives to a public meeting.
"They still haven’t replied to say they are suspending the cull or are agreeable to attending a public meeting," he said.
Mr Kerr revealed that the community council had asked North, West and Central Sutherland councillor Linda Munro to bring the issue to the attention of constituency MP John Thurso on their behalf.
JMT’s Head of Communications, Susan Wright, said: "We’re currently negotiating cull targets within a statutory process (section 7). Scottish Natural Heritage manages this process."
