Freedom of Information Request - deer carcasses
Date: 07 November 2024
Our ref: SIR177529/A4811667
Information Request – deer carcasses
Your Request
Under FOI can you please confirm how many estates have been paid to leave the deer carcasses on the hill and how much they have been paid per carcass. If I could please have this information for the past 10 years that would be appreciated.
Our Response
Following discussion with our Wildlife Management Team our response is below.
Please note, although NatureScot helps to process Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) applications the funding itself comes from the Scottish Government.
Under the Scottish Government’s AECS scheme payment is available for estates who leave deer carcasses within a Golden Eagle SPA. Further information is available here.
This option has had a very low uptake to date. It has only been contained in two AECS contracts (both in North/West Scotland) since the scheme began in 2015. Each involved leaving eight carcasses on the hill per year for the five years of the contract. Each estate was paid £80.00 per carcass. Both contracts have now expired.
How We Handled Your Request
We believe you have asked for environmental information as defined in the Environmental Information (Scotland Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’), so we are dealing with your request under those regulations. To be able to use the EIRs, we must apply an exemption under section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (‘FOISA’). The Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance recommends that public authorities apply this exemption to environmental information and handle request under the EIRs.
If you would like to find out more about the access to information legislation, there is a guidance booklet available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Review and Appeal
I hope this information meets your requirements, but if you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write to us within 40 working days explaining your concerns. You can contact us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [email protected]. We will carry out a review of our response and contact you with our findings within 20 working days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner within 6 months. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer,
NatureScot