Gamekeepers association opposes eradication of South Uist deer

Scotland’s professional gamekeeping body has waded into the row over deer in South Uist.

Islanders who are members of community landlord, Stòras Uibhist, are set to vote next week over the potential eradication of deer from the estate.

The red deer population has soared over the past ten years and now come off the hill into villages and the roadside. Many link the high incidence of Lyme disease amongst South Uist residents to increased numbers of the marauding animals.

Lyme disease - also known as Lyme borreliosis - is a serious bacterial infection spread to people by infected ticks. Severe symptoms affect the heart, nervous system as well as causing pain and swelling in joints.

Research by Liverpool University and Glasgow University backed up what locals have been claiming for years - that ticks are being found in gardens and not just on the moor.

Motorists are also concerned about the hazards of deer on the road.

The extraordinary general meeting vote comes in the wake of a Bornish Community Council survey which highlighted significant concern amongst respondents regarding deer impacts. Three quarters of households said they suffered negative impacts of deer, to crofts, crops, gardens and vehicles. Only 7% felt that deer were an asset to the estate.

Concerns over the years that Stòras was effectively ignoring the views of its own members were exacerbated when a recent deer count revealed numbers were double what the landlord previously claimed.

Stòras Uibhist recommends that eradication should not be supported, saying it would be against ‘the best interests of the company’.

Stòras says it has now culled more deer over this winter than the target figure.

Six gamekeeping staff are employed on the 93,000 acre estate while three deer stalker jobs would be affected if the deer are removed.

The Scottish Gamekeepers Association queried whether the community can afford to undertake such a drastic cull which could draw finance away from other resident priorities such as affordable housing.

Sealladh na Beinne Moire, which oversees Storas Uibhist, has recommended that eradication should not be supported, saying it would be against ‘the best interests of the company’.

Alex Hogg, SGA chairman, said his organisation”fully respects the rights of local communities to make their own decisions. However, choosing the route of exterminating a species, long native to an area, is an extreme step which will have wide-ranging repercussions. This must be carefully thought through.”

He added: “We have members in the community who will have to move away, if the deer herd goes. These members have children at local schools. Their jobs will be gone.”

The SGA said it “recognises and understands that conflicts can exist between humans and wildlife and we are sympathetic to that.

“But is this really the only way of solving the issue? Once done, it can’t be reversed.”

Stòras Uibhist made over £20,000 from a burgeoning venison processing project last year, supplying bars, restaurants, donating to the local food bank and processing orders from Lewis, Skye and Barra.

Sporting activity also brings revenue and visitors annually, whilst supporting employment.

“Shooting over 1000 deer, in a welfare-conscious manner, will come at a very high financial cost to the community. That should not be underestimated,” said one of the gamekeepers, whose job could become a casualty.

“There would be the additional lost annual income from sporting visitors. It will also mean the end of the venison processing.

“The stalking/gamekeeping staff control a lot of geese and rabbits, which are really destructive to crofters' interests. That work will have to made up in other ways.”

But the local group calling for the removal of deer believe Stòras is actually making a financial loss on its deer business when the costs of their management are taken into account.

The group said: “To get greater transparency on the costings, we've asked Stòras for the detailed accounts, not the summarised version on the website, but this request has been refused three times, twice by email and once verbally. We have also asked for the business plan for the sporting estate. This was also refused.”

Future costs of the stalkers can be covered "through viable alternative uses and employment opportunities for the land presently occupied by deer" as explicitly called for in the motion.

Gamekeepers association opposes eradication of South Uist deer

15 March 2023