NatureScot Deer Incentive Scheme Pilot - Privacy Notice
Introduction
Deer management and a significant reduction in wild deer numbers is required if we are to meet the ambitious but necessary targets to restore nature and reach net-zero. We know, however, that 80% of deer management is carried out by the private sector at a net cost to deer managers.
NatureScot has therefore launched two deer management incentive scheme pilots to trial ways to support deer managers in tackling high deer numbers in an area to the north of Glasgow and on land to the south of Loch Ness.
Interested parties will be required to sign up to the deer management incentive scheme by completing the relevant MS Form for their area. Successful applicants must then also sign up to and use the NatureScot Deer App to record and submit data including geolocation and photographic evidence of their cull, as well as information on how carcasses were disposed of. This will help NatureScot in its ongoing work to increase capacity in local supply chains for venison, a nutritious and sustainable food.
The NatureScot Deer App is a discrete project with the aim of developing an electronic means of simplifying the statutory cull return process and creation of larder records, collecting better quality information relating to deer culls and improving venison traceability from point of cull in the field.
The information gained from the Deer App allows NatureScot to fulfil its role in the statutory cull return process and gain insight to inform deer management efforts.
NatureScot is the responsible data controller and processor for the data submitted in the MS Form and Scotweigh, developer of the Deer App, function as data processors of the information you supply to them when creating a Deer App user account.
What kind of data we collect and why
| Information | Why |
|---|---|
| Your name telephone number, primary email address and postal address |
|
| Bank account details |
|
| Property ID for the property on which you will be shooting. |
|
| Information | Why |
|---|---|
| Full address of property where you will be culling deer | So we know where you are culling deer and to confirm it’s within the pilot scheme area. |
Name of main contact for the property (if it’s not you)
| So that we know who owns the sporting rights for the property and to be able to confirm that you have the legal right or permission to shoot on that property. |
| If you are in receipt of public funding for deer management on that property - Scottish Forestry Grant Schemes (Deer Management Options) and Agri Environment Climate Scheme. | To avoid double-funding. |
| Property grid references | To link you, as an individual, to the land on which you will be shooting. |
| Size of your property or the area over which you plan to cull the deer | To calculate the minimum culling threshold per property and to cross-check with the property boundary. |
| DOS property registration status | In order to identify which properties are not already in DOS. |
Deer control competency level
| To confirm that applicants have the minimum competency requirement and to help us better understand the proportion of deer managers with deer management qualifications. |
How we obtain your personal data
The personal data is gathered directly from you during one or more of the methods below:
- You submit the information during the registration process via the chosen areas MS Form for the Deer Management Incentive Scheme pilots.
- You submit the information when registering for the Deer App and creating a user account.
How we use your personal data
NatureScot uses the data submitted by you to:
- Assess your eligibility to participate in the Scheme.
- Progress your application.
- Register any new properties on NatureScot’s Deer Online Services application.
- Make any payments due to you during the Scheme.
- Carry out statutory duties for deer management.
When and why, we share your personal information
We will share your name, email address and property grid reference with Scotweigh, so that they can give you access to the app and enable you to create an account.
Ways we will share other data your submit
As with the current statutory cull return process via Deer Online Services (DOS), any information relating to deer culls and their location may be reported on publicly at a national level or spatial resolution that does not allow for individual details to be derived or distinguished to ensure the associated user remains anonymous. For any internal analysis of the data submitted, the user will be anonymized.
We may be asked to share information with the police for the purposes of detecting or preventing crime.
As with the existing statutory process where cull returns are submitted via DOS, details from cull returns may be publicly reported on. This will continue to be at a resolution that does not allow for individual details to be derived or distinguished to ensure the associated user remains anonymous.
The number of deer culled and their precise location will be treated as potentially sensitive, commercial information.
If you have any questions or concerns about access or how your data will be used, please contact our Data Protection Officer at [email protected].
Our legal basis for using your personal data
We must process your personal data so we can carry out our duties for natural heritage and deer management and as a result we are processing your data for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest.
This means you have the right to:
- Ask for copies of information about you and be told why we’re using it.
- Have incorrect information about you corrected.
- Object to your information being used by NatureScot because of your specific situation.
- Restrict our use of information about you where.
- we are using incorrect information
- our use of your information is unlawful and you want us to restrict its use rather than delete it
- NatureScot doesn’t need your information any more but you need it for legal action
- you have the right to object to information and you are using that right.
Your Personal Data Rights
- Ask for copies of information about you and be told why we’re using it;
- Have incorrect information about you corrected;
- Object to your information being used by NatureScot because of your specific situation;
- Restrict our use of information about you where:
- we are using incorrect information;
- our use of your informationis unlawful and you want us to restrict its use rather than delete it
- NatureScot doesn’t need your information any more but you need it for legal action
- you have the right to object to information, and you are using that right.
More information on your rights is available on this page of the NatureScot website.
The UK Information Commissioner also has more information about your rights on their website.
Subject Access Requests
To make a request please write/email the Data Protection Officer, NatureScot, Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW [email protected] giving us your name and contact details and a description of the data you want to see. We will respond as soon as we can and by 30 days after your request at the latest. We might ask you to provide some form of identification so we don't give data about you to the wrong person by mistake.
How long we keep your data
NatureScot will retain your personal information, and the data collected for the duration of the Deer Management Incentive Scheme pilot. Once the pilot is completed, the retention period will be set depending on its outcome. If the pilot is discontinued, the personal data will be retained for six months and then anonymised for inclusion in required reports.
NatureScot will retain your information in line with their Records Management Plan.
Information directly relating to deer culls will be held indefinitely to allow for historic reporting of deer culls and population trends over time. Personal data collected from the app is used in conjunction with that registered in our Deer Online Services (DOS) database to report deer culls. As is DOS policy, personal information is deleted after 7 years of non-activity. However, property ownership data is held indefinitely as the ownership history is required.
You can view NatureScot’s main Privacy Notices.
How we are keeping your data secure
NatureScot aims to protect your personal information through a system of organisational and technical security measures. NatureScot will ensure that:
- All data provided is transferred in a secure manner, encrypted in transit and at rest.
- All personal individual contact data is only used for the purposes specified.
- Data is stored securely within the platform which has been penetration tested and meets the criteria specified within the National Cyber Security Centre 14 Cloud Security Principles assessment.
- Data is stored in a secure manner with the required safety tests carried out and is processed and stored in an accurate and reliable manner. This means that data will be recorded as provided by users. Once entered into the system, safeguards will be in place to prevent loss, corruption, or unauthorised modification of data.
- Regular backups will be maintained to ensure data can be restored in the event of system failure or data loss. Data accuracy is maintained through secure storage practices, periodic system reviews, and compliance with relevant data protection and environmental monitoring standards.
- All NatureScot laptops are managed and encrypted.
- Users require a Corporate account and a valid username and password to access the laptop and network resources.
- User-based access control are implemented to ensure staff have the correct levels of access to the data.
- The database that houses the results of assessments, user data and user authentication is currently hosted in the UK.
