Date published: 2006/06/12
The BBC says:
Bounties should be paid for the shooting or trapping of grey squirrels, according to a Conservative MSP.
Murdo Fraser said consideration must be given to such measures to preserve numbers of native red squirrels.
The party's deputy leader said that only suitably qualified people with shotgun licences, like gamekeepers, would get the money.
However, an animal protection group said the proposal would lead to "carnage in the countryside".
Scotland is reported to be home to more than 75% of the UK's red squirrel population, however, they have been under threat of being displaced by the non-native grey.
Grey squirrels compete for food with the red squirrels and can carry a virus which kills them.
...
Ross Minett, director of Advocates for Animals, said: "This is an absolutely ridiculous idea and it would lead to carnage in the countryside with every man and his dog out to raise cash from the killing of squirrels."Mr Fraser obviously hasn't studied ecology because if he had he would realise that the grey squirrel is here to stay and killing them in vast numbers is not going to remove them.
"It would be a complete waste of time and taxpayers' money."
It's amazing how many people think that being "pro" nature involves killing some species or other. Less than a hundred years ago red squirrels were considered pests. Now grey ones are. And no doubt if grey squirrels ever went into decline we would get some half-baked effort trying to preserve them. If these people want to spend their own money on their own land on this extermination effort then so be it, but of course they want taxpayers' money to fund this scheme.
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