The regulations have been introduced to bring Scotland in line with EU conservation rules. The reason is that traditionally sporrans were made from the fur of badgers and otters which are endangered species. The licensing scheme would confirm that sporrans were made from legal sources.
Under the proposals, anyone owning any part of any protected animal would be required to have a licence or face a £5000 fine and 6 month prison sentence. This could lead to people being stopped on the streets by police and arrested if they can't produce their sporran licence! The same rules could also apply to anglers. It's a typical example of an all too common equation:
OK, it's a good silly story about bureaucracy gone mad. Does it really deserve a blog entry?
Yes.
This is a symptom of a wider problem - the move away from the presumption of innocence. It's another case where individuals are being required to prove that they are acting lawfully - rather than the authorities being required to prove otherwise. If there must be a licensing scheme then it should apply to producers, not individuals.
The attitude of the Scottish Executive confirms the problem. A spokeswoman is quoted as saying:
"The licence will allow people who possess artefacts made from these species in circumstances compliant with earlier laws to keep them"
Rubbish. Legal sporrans and fishing flies are legal, full stop. This sort of regulation doesn't "allow" anybody to do anything. It forces people to prove they are acting within the law. This is another small step on the journey of the UK towards a Papieren bitte state.
It's sporrans today - what will it be tomorrow?
Update:
Just to clarify, I'm not opposing moves to ban the use of endangered animals. I'm opposing the requirement to possess a licence to prove compliance with the law.
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