Best Practice Guidelines

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Wild Scotland Guidelines - Additional Information

The organisations and links below provide further information for wildlife-watching companies and wildlife-watchers on issues contained within the Wild Scotland Best Practice Guidelines. NB: the list is not exhaustive.

Reporting Wildlife Sightings

• Birds: British Trust for Ornithology – online record for bird sightings.
• Basking Sharks: Marine Conservation Society
• National Recording Schemes: Biological Records Centre - check the web for regional and local record centres.
• Stranded or injured animals:Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (tel: 0131 339011).
• Turtles: Marine Conservation Society and www.euroturtle.org.
• Tagged marine mammals: Sea Mammal Research Unit (tel: 01334 462631).
• Whales and Dolphins: Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust – sightings reporting service, codes of conduct, provide interpretative material as well as species information.

Wildlife and the Law
If you see anyone intentionally disturbing or harassing basking sharks or other marine wildlife, the incident should be reported to your local Police Wildlife Liaison Officer - more Police Forces now have one, or use the links below.

• National Wildlife Crime Unit
• Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime (PAWS)
• Scotland’s Wildlife: The Law and You: overview of Scottish wildlife law.

Training and Accreditation
Wild Scotland runs training courses on guiding skills and marine wildlife tourism in partnership with some of the organisations below. Do get in touch for dates.

• Leave No Trace
• Scottish Tourist Guide Training
• WiSE (Wildlife Safe) Accreditation Scheme

Licences and Regulations

• Research licences available from local Scottish Natural Heritage office,
• Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA): provides a range of licensing, testing and enforcement services with the aim of improving the roadworthiness standards of vehicles
• Maritime and Coastguard Agency: licensing authority that checks that ships meet UK and international safety rules.
• Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA): inspects activity providers and centres on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills (DfES).

Codes of Conduct

• Scottish Marine Wildlife Watching Code
• Scottish Outdoor Access Code
• Dolphin Space Programme

Other Information

• Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB)
• Scottish Natural Heritage – information on species, legislation, training courses and issues
  
• Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT)
• Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society – provide interpretative material as well as species information