Freedom of Information Request - Impact of Game Birds
Date: 21 February 2025
Our ref: SIR178282/A4923370
Information Request – Impact of Game Birds
Your Request
Please share all communications made over the last three years which relate to any impacts or potential impacts caused by the importation, rearing or release of game birds (such as pheasants and partridges).
Please also share any reports, assessments, briefing or other documents about this issue.
Please include all communications channels used, including Whatsapp, and please include any attachments, including images.
Our Response
We have searched the information that we hold and found a large number of documents that meet the terms of your request. Copies of these documents is provided separately to this response.
We have redacted personal data in the documents provided. Releasing personal data into the public domain in response to an access to information request would breach the Data Protection Act 2018. We are therefore withholding this information under EIRs Regulation 11(2) (Personal data).
We have also redacted a very small amount of information that was out with the scope of your request as it deals with other subjects.
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
Document downloads
Due to accessibility issues the attached information, referenced above, is available on request by contacting the FOI team at [email protected]. Please reference the case number (starting with SIR).
