Why the UK shooting community should respond to the forthcoming consultation on gamebird releasing in Wales

By Sue Evans, GWCT Wales Director

I often hear people say they don’t need to respond personally to consultations as the countryside organisations will respond on their behalf and yes, the GWCT submits science-based evidence and other countryside organisations put across their members’ views.

However, Ministers often base decisions on the number of responses received from individuals especially with controversial issues such as gamebird releasing. This happened recently when a Welsh Minister ignored Natural Resources Wales (NRW) evidence-based advice and decided that shooting should be banned on Welsh Government land due to the strength of public opinion. This was based on the number of responses received, some of which were from overseas.

A case in point is Humane Cable Restraints, which are due to be banned alongside snares with the passing of the Agriculture Bill in time for the Royal Welsh Show in July. GWCT evidence suggests that curlew cannot be recovered in Wales without the responsible use of Humane Cable Restraints.

We would therefore like to see their use continued under licence. However, there were far more individual calls to ban all snares compared to any positive consultation response to the retaining of HCRs and they are therefore currently included by name to be banned for use in Wales. We are still working to persuade Ministers and Members of the Senedd to review this decision and will continue as long as there is still time to amend the Bill.

It is essential that many more members of the shooting community take part in the forthcoming public consultation on the Regulation of Gamebird Releases in Wales. The timetable is tight with the consultation likely to be launched by NRW in March and open for 12 weeks with a view to a licencing system coming into force for the 2024/2025 shooting season.

The request to consider the option of further regulating shooting was made by the Minister back in November 2020. In July last year NRW launched a call for evidence from “stakeholder” groups stating, “the evidence we receive will help inform the development of a proportionate licensing approach that is right for Wales. We are seeking any evidence that helps us to better understand the scale and distribution of releases in Wales, the risks presented by gamebird releases, the socio-economic contribution that the industry makes and the environmental benefits of associated management activities.” After submitting evidence, GWCT had a meeting with NRW on 30 November before a wider stakeholders meeting was held 6 December.

When the public consultation opens, the GWCT will offer guidance on how individual members and supporters can make their own personal submissions as well as submitting a detailed response based on scientific evidence.

Welsh Government Ministers have already made it clear that they do not support the killing of live game for leisure activity and as such are refusing any funding for the Welsh Game Fair, which was launched last year. In addition, we expect that organisations such as the League Against Cruel Sports will rally their followers to submit large numbers of individual responses probably requesting that shooting of live game be completely banned rather than licenced.

Should game shooting be lost in Wales so will all the environmental, economic, cultural and human health benefits that go with it. Please see our Community Spirit document for supporting evidence of this fact. If it is going to be there for the next generation, it is imperative that as many people as possible, including members of the shooting community from outside Wales, write in their own words what benefits good game management brings them and what they believe the future of game shooting should look like.

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Comments

Game Bird Releasing in Wales

at 19:10 on 15/06/2023 by Roy

The proposal to control game bird release in Wales, is another attack on the economy and livelihood of rural communities. From my perspective, I don't shoot game birds, but I see the benefits of seeing these beautiful birds in the countryside. Since not all birds are shot, and some end up on land that's not used for shooting.

Game bird relaesing in Wales

at 15:22 on 08/03/2023 by Richard

Sitting back and hoping the stakeholder groups put forward their case is all well and good, but this might just be the start. Could all of this spill over into Scotland and then England. There are many that want the shooting of game to come to an end. The protection of moorland nesting birds and the coastal nesting birds is always called for, but the tools for this are being taken away. I hate to think what the future holds.

Game bird releasing in Wales

at 16:40 on 07/03/2023 by Chris Thorogood

We are constantly being told by government to make our farm land more accessible to people for mental health and well-being reasons and gamebird shooting gives so many people the opportunity to get out in the countryside and appreciate our wildlife. Without gamebird rearing there wouldn’t be so much wildlife to start with and many would lose the opportunity to see what nature offers us .

Game Bird releasing in Wales.

at 13:35 on 07/03/2023 by Martyn Ford

Dear Sir, The rearing and releasing of Game Birds in Wales is a vital contribution to the survival of many other birds and mammals, especially song birds during the hard weather in winter, many would simply not survive if it wasn't due to the supplementary feeding by gamekeepers and and food from cover crops. Managing the environment for Pheasants also benefits many species with effective, selective predator control , curlew especially, but also many other ground nesting birds, hares etc, by the use of snaring. Any legislation should only be brought in if supported by science and not "Knee Jerk" and emotive reasoning and be subject to close and intense scrutiny.

Gamebird releasing in Wales

at 18:09 on 28/02/2023 by Delyth Jones

In the process of releasing Gamebirds to live a wild & free existence we are putting quality meat back into the human foodchain at a time when there is a food shortage crisis & a global recession. It would be madness not to produce fresh meat. The birds suffer less than a farm reared animal does & is not exposed to the stress of the abattoir. Welsh landowners & Farmers who shoot & Gamekeepers also help other species of wild birds as they also eat the grit/bird food provided to the wild game birds. Gamekeepers maintain a safe cover area for the wildlife & Gamebirds to live in. Farmers & Gamekeepers also keep a fresh water supply available to all wildlife & redirect walkers to stay on footpaths/keep dogs on leads during the birds breeding season. If nobody maintained this process many other species if wild birds would suffer.

Game bird releasing in wales

at 13:01 on 28/02/2023 by Michael davies

Shooting in wales is essential for the economy in many areas of wales.it is a sport followed by many Welsh residents and countless people from other parts off the UK and indeed the world. It is also ofvtremendius benefit to much of the native flora and fauna, provides employment as well as sport.

Johnston

at 12:06 on 28/02/2023 by Steve

It is quite clear that a political agenda is being used to tactically target the shooting community across Wales (and the broader UK) and unless there is a strategically aligned defensive response from BASC, Game & Wildlife Conservation trust, British Field Sports society and the other privately funded bodies that independently represent country sports then the release of gamebirds for shooting, the targeted predation of foxes using snares, the breeding of sporting dogs for the field, the clothing companies and all associated supply chain industries will be negatively impacted to the extent that many marginal companies will no longer exist. More broadly, shooting in the UK is on the back foot, we are at the 11th hour and unless something drastic is done to educate the decision makers in Government then our sports will go into the books of history sooner than we think.

Game bird releasing

at 8:27 on 28/02/2023 by Justin Farrington Smith

Game bird releasing in Wales is vitally important to the future of the Welsh countryside from both an economic and environmental perspective. Firstly, from an economic perspective shooting employs directly thousands of people both full and part time and indirectly shooting parties coming into Wales spend significant sums in the hospitality industry. Shooting, generally takes place in rural communities where other forms of employment are limited and if releasing game birds closed many shoots I am sure this would place significant burden on the public purse through additional income support many of these families would require. The "non financial " benefits of the sport have been well documented and I urge the Welsh assembly members to read the study by Northampton university in the non financial benefits of taking part in this sport. The positive mental and health benefits to those taking part is astounding and is proven to reduce further burdens on the NHS. Secondly, from an environmental perspective the positive effect on the countryside to other native species through feeding released game birds and predator control is well documented and the research undertaken by the GWCT and other organisations cannot be ignored. And, in addition to the arguments above the shooting of gamebirds in a quick efficient manner, has to be much better than product going into the food chain that has had to be herded into a lorry for a journey that can last several hours to an abattoir or raised in large sheds gives gamebirds a better life than other forms of meat production.

Snares in Wales

at 8:27 on 28/02/2023 by David Tomlinson

It is quite apparent that most opponents of shooting have little or no interest in conservation. They don’t want foxes killed by any means, but have no interest in protecting birds like curlews from predators.

Game bird realising

at 22:23 on 27/02/2023 by Scott Smale

Game bird realising and Game shooting is vital to conservation and rural communities livelihood s. And should be not band in Wales

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