Sir,
When it comes to researching the environmental impacts of game shooting, Britain leads the world. However, it’s bizarre that staff at the RSPB decided to use a review process that accentuates the negatives and minimises the positives in order to produce their doom-laden conclusions (News, October 12).
In contrast, a review published by Natural England just three months ago, did not show that large scale releases of pheasants are detrimental to the environment nor that they harm other bird populations - but rather they may boost them. It’s somewhat ironic that staff at the RSPB also chose to ignore the Natural England report’s central conclusion that the effects of pheasant releasing are complex and they must be carefully described to avoid misunderstandings.
Andrew Gilruth, Director of Communications