DEFIANT hunters say they will ignore new guidelines aimed at limiting shooting at a Moray beauty spot.
And they are now on a collision course with campaigners who want to outlaw wildfowling at the Findhorn Bay nature reserve.
An uneasy truce between the two groups appeared to have been reached when Moray Council brokered an agreement on when and where guns can be used when the hunting season resumes next week.
But it has now emerged the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (Basc) has refused to acknowledge the terms of the deal, as it was not involved in the final decision.
Its Scotland director Colin Shedden has told members to ignore the “unnecessarily restrictive” rules.
He said: “Basc and Forres and Nairn Wildfowlers support the introduction of bylaws to manage wildfowling on Findhorn Bay, and we made clear our position at a meeting in April.
“But a further mediation meeting was convened by the local authority, which we were not invited to.
“After that, agreement was reached on a trial of a voluntary agreement that would restrict shooting on Findhorn Bay, both in time and location.
“This voluntary agreement is both confusing and unnecessarily restrictive.”
Mr Shedden added that Basc would advise its members there are “no legal changes” to wildfowling on Findhorn Bay.
Martin Gauld, who launched the Support Findhorn Bay Wildfowlers campaign, agreed the terms of the deal with members of the Friends of Findhorn Bay protest group.
He has previously said he and his fellow hunters were “content” to abide by the new restrictions, though he agreed that campaigners “asked for a lot”.
The Friends of Findhorn Bay group wants Moray Council to introduce a bylaw barring wildfowlers from the picturesque stretch of coastline.
Members collected more than 800 signatures on a petition asking the authority to ban the shooting of geese and ducks at the coastal spot.
Last night, lead campaigner Lisa Mead said she was “extremely unhappy” that shooting would continue unchecked at the bay.
She added: “The decision whether shooting is an acceptable activity in a nature reserve should not be left to the shooters.”
“We were assured that the shooters present at the negotiating table represented a wide body, and had the authority to enter into a voluntary arrangement on behalf of other shooters.”
Fellow campaigner Spencer Julian said the failure of the voluntary agreement should prompt Moray Council to give further consideration to a bylaw
He added: “We have said all along that what is needed is a local bylaw to regulate the shooting – not some voluntary, unenforceable arrangement.
“We are looking to the council now to finally face their responsibilities and get on with passing a bylaw to ban, or at least significantly reduce, the amount of shooting on Findhorn Bay.”
The chairman of Moray Council’s economic development and infrastructure services committee John Cowe presided over the meetings between the two parties in the summer.
He wrote to Mrs Mead yesterday informing her that the plans to place sanctions on wildfowling had collapsed following objections from Basc.
Councillor Cowe said: “It is apparent that, despite the council’s and petitioners’ best endeavours, we do not have a voluntary agreement that is workable.”
Councillors will discuss the matter during a meeting next month, to “decide what the next course of action should be”.
