Murdo Fraser MSP has praised the British Association for Shooting and Conservation’s (BASC) annual Gamekeepers’ Day, which was held earlier this week at Blair Castle, Perthshire.
The event was attended by over 80 BASC gamekeeper members from across Scotland, including gamekeeping students from both Elmwood and Borders Colleges.
The morning session consisted of various speakers giving contributions on a range of issues from the impacts of avian influenza to rural crime. This was followed by Scottish Conservative MSPs Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife), Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) and Edward Mountain (Highlands and Islands), taking part in a ‘panel discussion’ session.
Commenting, Mr Fraser said: “This was an excellent event, with the panel discussion session covering pertinent political topics, such as the new Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill, Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023 and the ongoing impact of legislation on rural communities.
“It’s important to recognise the important work carried out by BASC, and events like this are very welcome. I know my Scottish Conservative colleague and party chairman, Craig Hoy MSP, has highlighted BASC’s proposal for a Gamekeepers Taskforce to better understand the significant mental health challenges faced by gamekeepers. This is a concerning issue as gamekeepers’ and rural workers’ abuse is widespread in some rural parts of Scotland.”