SCOTS landowners have defended the killing of mountain hares to protect trees and prevent the spread of ticks in the face of a call to for a ban on culls on grouse moors.

A coalition of ten environmental and outdoor organisations have appealed to the Scottish Government to introduce the temporary ban amid fears culls have led to a mountain hare population decline and leaving the species close to extinction in some parts.

The group including RSPB Scotland, Scottish Wildlife Trust, the National Trust for Scotland and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland is asking for a temporary ban on grouse moors until measures are put in place to ensure their numbers can remain at "acceptable, sustainable levels".

The group say the Scottish Government has a "duty" to maintain mountain hare populations in a state of good health, otherwise it "may be in breach of its legally binding international obligations for this species".

Mountain hares are protected against unsustainable and indiscriminate killing by the European Union’s Habitats Directive.

However, the group say they are now routinely culled on a large scale on many grouse moors.

They said the practice has developed relatively recently, in the belief that it protects red grouse against the tick-borne louping ill virus, although there a lack of scientific evidence to support the theory. The group said this leads to an increase in the surplus of grouse to be shot at the end of the summer.

In 2014, the coalition warned the Scottish Government that the ‘voluntary restraint’ that was claimed to be in place was unlikely to protect these mammals from wide-scale culls on grouse moors, including in the Cairngorms National Park. The group say the culls are believed to be having a "serious negative effect on hare populations" and added: "In some areas it has been shown that the culls are leading to severe population declines and potentially even local extinctions."

Herald View: Culling of mountain hares in ignorance should stop

But the Scottish Land and Estates (SLE), which represents landowners declared that the culls were necessary and comparable to organisations such as RSPB and SWT culling deer on land owned by the charities. They said culls range from 14 per cent to five per cent of hare populations in years when culls are carried out, which is sustainable.

Tim Baynes, the director of SLE’s Scottish Moorland Group said: “Mountain hares populations are often very high on managed moorland in comparison to other upland environments. On occasion, it is necessary to cull some mountain hares to limit the spread of ticks, for the protection of trees and to maintain fragile habitats.

“There is no evidence provided by the ten organisations to substantiate claims that periodic culls are endangering mountain hare populations. In 2014, we issued a joint statement with SNH which acknowledged the need for occasional culls but recognised the requirement to do so responsibly."

Herald View: Culling of mountain hares in ignorance should stop

He said despite attempts to criticise grouse moors the real issue over hare numbers lay further north and west in Scotland where populations have died out in many places.

"The organisations give no indication of how many mountain hares exist on their own reserves and we believe attention should be focused on such areas where mountain hares are completely absent. Grouse moors are an excellent habitat for mountain hare breeding, a fact recognised by visitors who come to spot them on moors throughout Scotland," he said.

The Herald:

Duncan Orr-Ewing from RSPB Scotland, said: “The Scottish Government needs to do more to safeguard these iconic species of our upland areas. In 2014 we had serious concerns that the notion of voluntary restraint would be ignored by many in the grouse shooting industry and, with the evidence of culls continuing on many moors over the last three years, it seems that these fears have been well founded.

“The start of the mountain hare season has already begun meaning hare populations will continue to be put at risk by unregulated culls that we believe, are resulting in localised disappearance of hare populations.

"Susan Davies, director of conservation at Scottish Wildlife Trust added: “Mountain hares are an iconic species that act as an indicator of the ecological health of our uplands, and seeing them gives much pleasure to hillwalkers and tourists alike.

“There has been continued and widespread culling throughout the period of voluntary restraint that was called for three years ago to allow research to be carried out. This suggests that some grouse moor managers have no concern for the long-term viability of mountain hare populations.

“We believe that grouse moor managers have a responsibility for this important native species. Lethal control should be halted until there is both accurate information on the number of hares culled, and the true effect of these culls on the health of the hare population is known.”

The Herald:

The Scottish Gamekeepers Association said activist organisations would do better to explain to the public why they have such "comparatively poor populations of mountain hares on their holdings and why their management is producing so few".

Herald View: Culling of mountain hares in ignorance should stop

An SGA spokesman said: "This is the elephant in the room which has never been properly addressed, amidst the campaigns. When the new guidance on best methodologies to count mountain hares is published, the SGA will be asking Scottish Government to ensure hares are counted on all holdings, including nature reserves and re-wilding areas not just grouse moors, so the public can finally get a transparent picture of where hares are declining and why.

“Voluntary restraint is being exercised on grouse moors. Where hares are over-running, populations are being controlled to prevent disease and habitat damage. Where their numbers are lower, there is less or no need for management. It is the same with deer. In our view, that is what voluntary restraint is.”