Local MSP Christine Grahame told TheSouthern: "I remain completely opposed to any snaring of animals because I believe the evidence demonstrates they are cruel and indiscriminate."

She continued: "The minister has given me an assurance that he will review the position once the regulations are in place and there is time to assess their effectiveness.

"I am disappointed, however, that the Scottish Government has not sought to seek advice from the various interest groups on the form these guidelines will take. I think that is a mistake and will only reinforce the view in some quarters that the minister is only listening to a small group of vested interests, namely those who carry out the snaring already."

The League Against Cruel Sports and other animal welfare organisations were not consulted in making up the guidelines, which were co-authored by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Scottish Gamekeepers Association.

The guidelines are voluntary at this stage but are likely to be made law next year.

But Mrs Grahame does not believe they will make a difference.

"In remote places snares simply will not be checked if there are adverse weather conditions or other issues that prevent those setting the snares from checking them," she said.

"I think it will make little difference whether they are regulated or licensed."

And she vowed: "I will continue to campaign for an outright ban of this cruel and unnecessary practice.

"The practice is absolutely barbaric and has no place in the 21st century."

The minister has previously defended his decision not to ban snaring outright, claiming to do so would be counterproductive.

"I'm not going to (stamp out wildlife crime] if I drive snaring underground. I'm not going to do that if I alienate all those people working in the countryside," the minister has previously stated.

Last week he told us he hoped education and the government's planned legislation on the use of snares would "drive the cowboys and criminals out of interfering in the countryside".