Wildlife managers must attend new trap course

The Scottish government has signed off the training materials for the new corvid and spring trapping courses. Previous trap training will no longer be recognised under the new legislation. 

It is now compulsory for wildlife managers to attend one of the new courses to obtain a wildlife trap licence, which is a legal requirement for the operation of corvid and spring traps in Scotland under the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024. 

The new course has been developed with input from NatureScot and other stakeholders. For more than 30 years, the GWCT was the only organisation offering training in corvid and spring trapping in Scotland. It was also tasked with the development of the new courses, which begin this month, with course locations in the Scottish Borders, Perthshire, Angus and Inverness-shire. 

Mike Swan, senior adviser at GWCT, told ST: “While I regret that the Scottish government has chosen to be so bureaucratic over this, I am proud that the GWCT’s long-term pioneering role in scientific research and developing best practice means we have been able to take the lead in developing these new courses.”