A Route Map to transforming the deer management sector collaboratively towards a sustainable model
What is the Route Map?
For many of us, the deer sector in Scotland needs to create a structure that will sustain deer management jobs and deliver nature restoration for the long term. Organisations and individuals from all parts of the deer sector have pledged their support for building a deer management futures framework based on the views of people involved in all aspects of deer management.
The proposal, developed by Scottish Environment LINK, SGA, ADMG and Scottish Venison is to do this step by step through a route map approach. The first step is to involve representatives of all parts of the sector identifying the challenges to getting deer management in Scotland onto a sustainable footing for the long term. This might include issues like:
- Effective levels of funding based on the economics of deer management
- Mindset, trust and relationships for supportive collaboration
- Skills and capacity needed for managing deer
- Shared knowledge and understanding
- Other issues raised by stakeholders in the sector.
Many of these challenges are well understood, others less so. Funding is in place for the Centre for Good Relations to support a process that will guide and strengthen relationships between stakeholders as they work through the first step of identifying an agreed list of challenges to address. This improved collaboration will then allow stakeholders to find common ground, identify solutions and ultimately, ways to implement these solutions as they take action in their respective fields. By developing a framework that the deer sector is united behind, we will get to a much stronger position to secure the healthy, long-term future for deer management, and all the benefits this brings, that we all want to see.
Stage 1 – Agreeing a list of challenges to address
In the first stage of developing the Route Map, we reached out to the sector to help us create a comprehensive list of barriers to progress to a sustainable model, and identify the challenges that we should be working through in the next stage of this process. I.e. Setting out what are the things we need to focus on to create a strong deer management future.
The list of challenges below was identified based on an online survey that attracted over a hundred responses, a number of one-to-one conversations, group discussions, and feedback we received at various events facilitated by the Common Ground Forum since its inception in 2023.
We are currently working on a summary report for this phase. It will present these challenges in more detail and the engagement methods we used to arrive at this list.
Challenges facing the sector identified through the first stage of the Route Map:
- Incentives – A shared understanding of what the definition of incentives is to capture all types of support needed in the sector, beyond financial support, in order to move towards a sustainable deer management model.
- Economics of deer management – Economic analysis is needed to gain understanding of the current economic landscape of the sector in order to develop viable models of funding and support for sustainable deer management, to enable and sustain it. This analysis will allow to identify the areas where financial incentives will have the maximum impact in response to the sector’s needs.
- Knowledge and understanding – Is there enough data, and of the right kind, to inform the change needed in deer management? Clearly set targets, measuring tools, and quality of data are needed to build robust base to guide and track progress.
- Skills – Moving towards sustainable deer management will require a skilled workforce. A critical number of skilled and experienced professionals is needed – are there enough professionals able to deliver the work and do they have the required skills to do so? Are there programmes in place that will train newcomers and help close the skill gaps?
- Mindset, trust, and relationships – Implementing a sustainable change in the deer management sector that leaves no one behind will require cooperation and collaboration from all those involved in deer management across all levels of experience, seniority, and access to policy development.
- Policy and Governance – An integrated approach across various land-uses is an important consideration. The relationship between them should be understood and reflected in policy to ensure cohesive legislation.
- Perception of deer management – Recognition of deer management as a part of the broader picture of land management, integral to conservation, biodiversity, and food production, rather than a means to control one species in isolation.
- Community – The importance of sustaining rural livelihoods, widening local involvement, recognising traditional knowledge and culture, and ensuring that change strengthens, rather than weakens, the communities connected to deer management.