Rural businesses welcome key role for land managers and farmers in setting biodiversity targets

Press Release
3 Oct 2025

Scottish Land & Estates, the rural business organisation, today supported a parliamentary committee report which calls for land managers and farmers to play a key role in developing and implementing future biodiversity targets to help tackle nature loss.

The Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs and Islands Committee has published its report on Stage 1 of the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill which aims to support the protection and restoration of Scotland’s natural environment.

The report highlights important topics including biodiversity, deer management and national parks.

The Committee concluded that on biodiversity, it supported the Scottish Government’s intention to introduce statutory targets to help reverse decline but said it is essential they are robust and evidence-led.

Ross Ewing, Director of Moorland, Scottish Land & Estates, said: “This report identifies the key issues that need to be addressed. We welcome the fact that the committee has taken on board evidence from Scottish Land & Estates across a number of areas, particularly in relation to biodiversity targets and deer management.

“We support the committee’s view that biodiversity provisions can be further improved but the committee could not be clearer when it stated in its report: ‘If targets are to be achievable, realistic and formulated effectively, the Committee believes scientific advice must also be combined with knowledge from farmers, land managers and other businesses with a practical and detailed understanding of how targets can be properly implemented.’

“We look forward to continue to working with the committee to ensure that improvements can be made in this area.”

SLE said the committee has highlighted a number of important points on deer management in its report including:-

  • A “lack of detail” associated with the new ground for NatureScot to intervene in deer management issues, and the importance of the Scottish Parliament having scrutiny of the details when they are set out in the new deer code. 

  • The Scottish Government should not to “erode the trust and consensus that has been carefully built across the deer management sector” through the new ground for intervention.  

  • Support for using a new register of competence to enable stalkers to undertake specified activities, such as night shooting, more easily. 

  • The venison dealer’s licence should be “maintained” until such a time that “a new deer app has been fully tested and rolled out across Scotland” to ensure traceability of wild venison. 

On national parks the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee has requested the Scottish Government to explain how amended national park aims will protect the needs of rural communities. SLE will be pressing to cement the importance of housing and rural sectors, including forestry and agriculture, at stage two.   

The committee also said it recognised “concerns” associated with a new duty to facilitate the implementation of national park plans, including “resource implications for public sector bodies” and “the impact on private land managers”.