Countryside Alliance | The Voice of the Countryside

BIODIVERSITY

Report finds no evidence of pheasants causing insect decline

A new report commissioned by Natural England and conducted by the GWCT has found that pheasant releasing does not cause declines in insect populations.

The study found that adult gamebirds predominantly fed on grain and leafy vegetation, with invertebrates making up less than 3% of their typical diet.

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Heath Fritillary Butterflies (Melitaea athalia) perching on seeding grass in woodland - 1400px x 930px

TIM BONNER

Let slip the hounds of war

The government’s consultation on trail hunting closed at midnight on 18 June. We know that over 85,000 of you submitted a response opposing a ban through our e-lobby, but understand that there have been well over 100,000 submissions in all.

By our calculations this is the largest consultation response to Defra in modern times, beating the consultation on the badger cull in 2011 which had 65,000 submissions.

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RURAL POLICY

Alliance urges fair deal for rural economy

The Countryside Alliance has submitted detailed evidence to the Labour Rural Research Group's inquiry Labour Rural Research Group’s inquiry into the future of the rural economy, warning that too much national policy is still designed around urban assumptions rather than the realities of countryside life and business.

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The countryside under attack

The countryside faces its greatest challenge for a generation. Become a member today and help us fight damaging legislation, defend rural freedoms and protect our rural way of life.

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