Author: Playfair Walker

The Monadhliath Deer Managment Group (MDMG) is the largest DMG in the country and, in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), recently adopted a new Strategic Deer Managment Plan (SDMP) for the period 2015 – 2024.

As part of MDMG’s ongoing commitment to partnership and openness, the Group is holding an event for local stakeholders on the Alvie and Dalraddy Estates on Tuesday 23 June 2015. This event is aimed at local farmers, crofters, councillors, MSPs, CNPA and conservation agencies. The objective is to inform the widest group of local people who have interests in deer and habitat managment and gather feedback from this group to assist in developing the SDMP.

The day will consist a presentation on the SDMP at Alvie House with time for questions followed by a visit to a shooting bothy for further discussion and lunch. Attendees should bring their own packed lunches.

If you are interested in attending you can register by clicking here.

In the UK last year (12 months to end June 2014), retail sales of venison increased by over 400% according to Kantar Worldpanel, and that doesn’t take into account what is sold directly by butchers, the restaurant, hotel and catering trade, farmers markets, ‘farm gate’ and mail order sales. To cope with this ever-increasing demand, UK suppliers are importing venison from New Zealand, Poland, Ireland and Spain and industry experts say that the UK is losing out on a lucrative market. In 2013 the equivalent of 29,000 carcases or around 1300 tonnes were imported to the UK from New Zealand alone. But over the last year the Scottish venison market has been limbering up to meet the challenge.

As a result of a campaign to promote the many benefits of venison as a healthy, nutritious and delicious food, and create awareness for the need for more deer farms to cope with demand, over the last six months 200 the first four deer farm demonstration days have seen attendance totalling over 200.

In the last 18 months 80 genuine enquiries about diversification into deer farming have been made to the Venison Advisory Service (VAS), 32 visits to assess potential deer farms at sites all over Scotland have been undertaken by VAS, and 16 detailed studies have been carried out. To date work has already started on six new deer farm units, with a total planned capacity of 2500 hinds. Once on stream these six alone could effectively more than double the current Scottish farmed venison output of 50 tonnes per annum, although in order to meet demand for Scottish breeding stock it is likely that the majority of hinds will be retained while only the stags will go for slaughter.

The objective of the Scottish Venison Partnership, endorsed by the Scottish Government, is to be producing an additional 1000 tonnes of farmed venison per annum by 2020. And it’s not only the farms which will capitalise on a growing demand, but also fencing companies, feed manufacturers, processors etc. This autumn a new dedicated slaughter facility will open in Fife specifically to service the expanding farmed deer sector with a capacity of 100 deer per week.

Spokesperson for the deer and venison industry in Scotland Dick Playfair says:

“It is satisfying to see that there is now some movement in terms of growth.  While the issue of Single Farm Payment is resolved in terms of support it will be helpful to know what is in the new SRDP (Scottish Rural Development Programme) that will be of benefit to Scotland’s deer farmers, or not.

“The target for new deer farms we believe is realistic, and not as great in number as we previously thought – indeed if Scotland can achieve 100 new farms with a capacity averaging 250 hinds these could produce in the region of 750 tonnes of venison per annum and give Scotland a really firm grounding in the farmed deer sector.”

During a venison feast lunch at Ballathie Country House Hotel in Perthshire on 28 August media guests were given the opportunity to hear about highland and lowland deer management (including a few words from Ballathie’s own gamekeeper who looks after stalking on the estate), the latest on deer farms, venison industry news and also to experience for themselves the culinary and tasty benefits of venison, thanks to special dishes created by Ballathie chef Scott Scorer.

“We are delighted to have been involved with Eat Scottish Venison Day and to have hosted this lunch as part of the celebrations” says hotel manager Jody Marshall.  “Stalking on the Ballathie Estate is popular with our guests and venison is naturally a favourite on our menu.  We are fortunate that our head chef enjoys creating interesting venison dishes, making good use of the local Ballathie larder on his doorstep”.  Ballathie is featuring venison on the menu for the next fortnight to help celebrate Eat Scottish Venison Day.

Eat Scottish Venison Day is on 4th September and many restaurants, butchers and retailers are putting on special offers and dishes to mark the occasion, including Campbell’s Prime Meat Ltd offering 20% off all venison products during the month of September, Loch Fyne Oyster Bar hosting a special venison BBQ from 12noon to 4pm on the day and Ballathie House Hotel will be featuring venison strongly on the menu for the week

Visit www.scottish-venison.info for more information about this iconic Scottish product.

The Land Reform Review Group has published its final report to the Scottish Government today. Running to more than 230 pages with 62 recommendations, the report goes into detail on topics including community land ownership, changes to the current tax system, and ways towards a ‘fairer distribution’ of land ownership.

The report addresses deer and deer management in some detail, and makes a number of recommendations over and above those as a result of the recent inquiry of the Rural Affairs Environment and Climate Change Committee, most notably the setting of culls by SNH, and that all landowners would have to apply to SNH for consent to cull deer. The report says:

The Review Group considers that Scotland’s populations of native red and roe deer are important national assets that should be sustainably managed in the public interest. The Group recommends that improvements should be made to the current statutory framework governing the hunting of deer in Scotland to ensure appropriate culls are carried out to adequately safeguard public interests.

The report however is not up to date in its conclusions on deer populations, nor with regard to the close working between SNH, ADMG and the Collaborative Deer Management Project that will underpin sustainable deer management under the voluntary principle going forward. Nor did the Land Reform Review Group consult with or take evidence from ADMG in the drawing up of its report or recommendations despite ADMG’s offer to do so.

For the full Land Reform Review Group document:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Review/land-reform/events/FinalReport23May2014

 

 

ADMG encouraged by Minister’s response to RACCE Committee regarding ongoing deer management and future funding support

Richard Cooke, Chairman, The Association of Deer Management Groups, says:

“ADMG is very encouraged by the constructive tone of the letter from Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Environment and Climate Change, to Rob Gibson, Convener of the Rural Affairs Climate Change and Environment (RACCE) Committee in response to the Committee’s recommendations following its inquiry into deer management and the environment last year. In particular, ADMG welcomes the provision of grant funding for the next two years to support the deer sector.

“It has long been stated that there is a strong public interest element to deer management and the provision of funding support for DMGs marks a breakthrough in terms of recognition of this by the Scottish Government.

“In terms of improving their performance, many DMGs have made good progress to date with limited resources. Now, following the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act, the implementation of the Deer Code and the inquiry by the RACCE Committee, considerable pressure has been placed on DMGs to raise their game. This includes the production and implementation of deer management plans, greater transparency and public accountability. Many of our members are already achieving this in all or part, but others are less well advanced – and we have until end 2016 to bring those up to speed.

“To this end we are currently undertaking a consultation among our membership to produce a DMG Benchmark to be launched in July. Now, this extra funding to be administered by SNH and which DMGs will be required to match-fund, will allow DMGs to increase capacity, and to further enhance deer management planning. It also bridges the funding gap until the new SRDP comes on stream in 2016 when we hope that provision will be made for more formalised and ongoing support for DMGs.”

The Association of Deer Management Groups, the representative body for those who manage Scotland’s upland wild deer, has launched a consultation on a Benchmark for Deer Management Groups at its Annual General Meeting today (Thursday 20 February) at Kingussie.

The voluntary basis of management of Scotland’s wild deer has been under scrutiny by the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs Climate Change and Environment Committee (RACCE) which held an inquiry into deer management and the impact of deer on the environment.  The Committee has recently sent its report to the Minister.  This stops short of recommending a regulated approach and acknowledges progress by DMGs but states that bringing all Groups up to standard is a matter of urgency, suggesting a deadline of the end of 2016.

The Benchmark is intended to provide detailed guidance to Deer Management Groups on how they should operate effectively.  It will form part of the Joint Collaborative Deer Management Project which ADMG is undertaking along with Scottish Natural Heritage.

Richard Cooke, Chairman of the Association of Deer Management Groups says:

“We are putting the ADMG draft Benchmark out to consultation to all our Member DMGs because it is crucial that they understand what they need to do if the voluntary basis of deer management is to be considered fit for purpose and to continue into the future.  It is targeted mainly at the Deer Groups that now exist across the open hill red deer range.

“The Benchmark outlines how DMGs should operate.  It covers membership, meetings, constitution; a commitment to deer management planning, adherence to the Code of Practice on Deer Management and the ADMG Principles of Collaboration; counting, cull planning and habitat condition monitoring; also training and having a communications plan.

“While many DMGs will have no problem in attaining what will be required, or indeed already do so, other Groups have a lot of ground to make up and need to take on board that this cannot be ignored and that urgent action is required.  ADMG will provide whatever support is needed to help them do so by providing training, advice and mentoring.

“The crux of the situation is that unless we can prove that the voluntary system can not only deliver the individual and collective objectives of DMG members but also meet the expectations of Government, then a statutory system remains a real possibility.”

Welcome to the 21st Annual General Meeting of the Association of Deer
Management Groups. Click here for full report.

This year’s AGM is being held on 20th February at the Duke of Gordon Hotel, Kingussie (10.00am for 10.30am).  Those who wish to attend should advise ADMG in advance, to helen.polley@bidwells.co.uk

In response to the recommendations to the Minister for Environment and Climate Change from the Scottish Parliament Rural Affairs and Climate Change Committee, and following its inquiry into deer management and the environment In Autumn last year, Richard Cooke, Chairman of the Association of Deer Management Groups (ADMG) said:

“We are encouraged by the recommendations from the Committee to the Minister, and there is much in this report with which we agree, for example that the impacts of deer rather than numbers are most important, and that it is premature to undertake a review of the Code of Practice on Deer Management at this time.

“We also agree with the recommendation that the voluntary deer management system must become more effective in terms of deer management planning, transparency and accountability.

“Whilst there are many Deer Management Groups (DMGs) that are exemplary in what they do there are a number that, for one reason are another, do not attain the required level of performance. We know that there has to be improvement in certain quarters and, even before the inquiry began last Autumn, we had actively begun the process to effect this.

“We have plans to bring those Groups that are not performing up to speed, to improve commitment to and delivery of deer management plans and to ensure that DMGs are more transparent and their communications enhanced where necessary. We have a major initiative being finalised now that will be launched for consultation at our AGM on 20 February, and this will lead to appropriate steps to be taken where required.

“We note the timeframe as laid down in the report for all DMGs to have deer management plans in place by end 2016. This fits with our own thinking and we believe is a realistic deadline.

“Overall, and as said at the time, we consider the RACCE Committee inquiry to have been fair and even-handed. This outcome is evidence of that, and provides us with a range of areas going forward where we can demonstrate improvement. We will continue to work with Government and its Agencies to show that the voluntary system, with their appropriate support, can be entrusted to deliver.”

Ends

Richard Cooke, Chairman of both the Association of Deer Management Groups and the Lowland Deer Network Scotland said:

“This new piece of work will be extremely helpful in focusing deer management on areas where there are specific issues in relation to deer and native woodlands.

“We do believe however that there has been a significant turnaround in the last 30 years in the impacts of deer on native woodland and it is too easy to blame deer at every turn when other factors, for example grazing from other herbivores and now widespread tree disease, are also taking their toll.

“FCS is a major participant in the deer management sector in Scotland both across the upland red deer range and in low ground areas where considerable new planting is being undertaken. Let’s not forget that deer are also an asset, and that a balance must be struck taking into account environmental, economic and social factors.

“The conclusion we draw is that effective deer management planning is vital particularly at the early stages of any planting or regeneration programme in order to reduce impacts, and making use of all available tools, including fencing. That is nothing new.

“From the deer management perspective it is all too easy to focus on the negatives – there is much on the positive side that we can draw from this new dataset also.”

Pioneering venison ambassador, Nichola Fletcher, of Reediehill Deer Farm in Fife, has been awarded an MBE for her services to the venison industry.

An award-winning food writer, Nichola has worked tirelessly to educate people about venison, its health aspects as well as how to prepare and cook it. Having worked with both wild and farmed venison for over forty years, she is regarded as Britain’s pre-eminent expert on all aspects of venison.

On hearing that she had been awarded the MBE, Nichola said:

“When you spend your life trying to make people listen to you, it’s sometimes quite a surprise when you discover that someone actually was listening after all!  I am just thrilled that my work with venison should have been so honoured and it’s great to be working in an area I feel so passionately about.  There’s still so much for people to learn about venison and I’m always trying to place it at the forefront of peoples’ minds.”

Originally trained as a goldsmith (a skill she still practices), Nichola’s work with venison started when she met and married Dr John Fletcher, a specialist deer vet and pioneer of deer farming in Europe. Together they started Fletchers of Auchtermuchty which became a by-word for seriously good venison amongst enthusiastic foodies all over the country.  The farm went on to act as a model for venison farms across the world.

A diverse range of people and organisations across the UK and internationally have benefitted from Nichola’s help: from national bodies like Scottish Natural Heritage or the Ministry of Defence to individual stalkers and member of the general public.

Nichola continues to run tailored venison and game tastings, cookery demonstrations and practical workshops. She acts as a consultant for venison businesses and is available for writing and broadcasting commissions on the subject.

Nichola Fletcher is a member of the Guild of Food Writers and has written seven food books, including Nichola Fletcher’s Ultimate Venison Cookery which won the award for the best single-subject cookery book in the world in 2007.