Our MPs' briefing for the parliamentary debate on banning driven grouse shooting

The GWCT policy team has briefed MPs ahead of the parliamentary debate triggered by the Wild Justice petition to ban driven grouse shooting. The petition gained more than 100,000 signatures required to prompt a debate, which will take place on Monday 30 June. The wording on the petition, which will frame the debate, was as follows:

“Chris Packham, Ruth Tingay and Mark Avery (Wild Justice) believe that driven grouse shooting is bad for people, the environment and wildlife.

People; we think grouse shooting is economically insignificant when contrasted with other real and potential uses of the UK’s extensive uplands.

Environment; muirburn contributes to climate breakdown and drainage leads to flooding and erosion.

Wildlife; the wholesale extermination of predators has a disastrous impact on the ecology of these areas and the criminal practice of raptor persecution has taken place.

We believe it's time to provide an opportunity to implement immediate and meaningful measures to address what we see as an abhorrently destructive practice so that recovery of moorlands can progress.”

The GWCT briefing addresses these points by building on the 2022 audit we did of grouse moor management’s contribution to Defra’s Environment Plan goals. It highlights the fact that concerns that the intensity of grouse moor management (GMM) is permanently damaging the environment and biodiversity are based on inaccurate, incomplete and historical views of GMM.

It welcomes the government’s recognition of the value of well-managed grouse shooting to wildlife and habitat conservation and the rural economy (Government response 16/1/2025) and counters the claims above on the grounds that:

GMM makes a £47 million annual economic contribution to the rural community with a coexistent contribution to the social fabric and wellbeing of remote rural areas.
GMM delivers cleaner air and water, contributes to greenhouse gas management and mitigates climate change hazards, notably wildfire.
GMM supports a suite of red-listed bird species including waders and raptors as well as a unique group of invertebrates. In addition, it aids the restoration of damaged peatlands and their associated bog species through rewetting and vegetation management.

We would encourage members and supporters to email their MPs ahead of the debate.

GWCT’s MPs briefing can be read in full here.

To watch the debate online, visit the UK Parliament YouTube channel.

Comments

Parliamentary Debate on grouse shooting

at 7:28 on 25/06/2025 by Ronald scarce

To Hume it my concern ..As a man who has lived and worked in the countryside all my life (east anglia). I am very disappointed that the government is even allowing this debate time in Parliament, as all of the points of this petition have already been proven as miss informed or false on two other occasions. The fact that Natural England hovering in the background is also very concerning as they seem to fall on wild justiceses word to the letter and make decisions that do not work in the real countryside ,mainly to the detriment of our wildlife .This organisation needs a review of how its to move forward because at the moment it is not fit for purpose. All general licensing being one of its failings to nature. I have only been to the Yorkshire moores on a few occasions but it is very obvious to me where the keepered areas are and where they are not by the amount of wildlife present .If grouse shooting is stopped and there is no more keepering and Moor management we will loose not only great institution that generates millions of pounds to the local economy but most of our wildlife will disappear and the threat of wildfires will be even more of a reality. Please think long and hard and work with only true hard facts before making any decisions. The moores look like the beauty they are because of grouse management please don't change the moores. Ronald scarce.

Parliamentary Debate on grouse shooting

at 7:28 on 25/06/2025 by Ronald scarce

To Hume it my concern ..As a man who has lived and worked in the countryside all my life (east anglia). I am very disappointed that the government is even allowing this debate time in Parliament, as all of the points of this petition have already been proven as miss informed or false on two other occasions. The fact that Natural England hovering in the background is also very concerning as they seem to fall on wild justiceses word to the letter and make decisions that do not work in the real countryside ,mainly to the detriment of our wildlife .This organisation needs a review of how its to move forward because at the moment it is not fit for purpose. All general licensing being one of its failings to nature. I have only been to the Yorkshire moores on a few occasions but it is very obvious to me where the keepered areas are and where they are not by the amount of wildlife present .If grouse shooting is stopped and there is no more keepering and Moor management we will loose not only great institution that generates millions of pounds to the local economy but most of our wildlife will disappear and the threat of wildfires will be even more of a reality. Please think long and hard and work with only true hard facts before making any decisions. The moores look like the beauty they are because of grouse management please don't change the moores. Ronald scarce.

GMM Debate

at 13:00 on 24/06/2025 by Peter Matthew Webb

It's not helpful of those opposed to GMM and the shooting of grouse on uplands to use such blanket and emotive, sound-bite terms when describing the downsides of this practice. However, those who want this sport to continue have GOT to get a handle on; a) The use by some keepers of illegal substances to poison raptors and predators. b) The abrupt and, seemingly, random act of shooting birds of prey. c) The use of illegal trapping methods to eradicate ground predators. All the continued and continuing discoveries of such transgressions do NOTHING except confirm the opinions of those outside of the process but integral to its eventual demise, which WILL HAPPEN if these problems are not addressed. So: 1) Landowners, you HAVE to take more responsibility for what you're employess do on YOUR land. 'Too busy' or 'Away from the land' is NOT an excuse. If you can't manage it give it over to someone who can. 2) Landowners, terminate the transgressor's employment IMMEDIATELY and make it part of their contract of employment THAT THEY SIGN UP TO. 3) Grouse gamekeepers. You have a duty to follow the law and not think that isolation will afford you opportunities to ignore such directives. If you choose to break these laws then you are participating in your own, eventual downfall and the cessation of grouse shooting in the UK. 4) GWT. You need to mount a robust, HIGHLY VISIBLE campaign of rebuttal concerning all such practices. Publish the names of keepers AND LANDOWNERS who have been found guilty of such behaviour. You do the sport no favours if the sense of entitlement hangs over the reporting of such things. These notes come from an ex (lowland) gamekeeper. Peter Webb

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