Don’t leave it to others to stand up for shooting on your behalf

In March the Welsh government published a 12 week consultation which could see Wales become the first country in the UK to regulate game shoots by introducing a licensing system for the release of pheasants and red-legged partridge in Wales. 

On the face of it the Welsh Government's proposals do not seem outrageous. They would mean that pheasants and partridges could be released under a general licence outside protected areas and at stocking densities recommended by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust. In fact, there may be some in the shooting world who think that this is a reasonable proposal to tackle the minority of shoots that do not operate to high standards.

However, the issue is not that the Countryside Alliance, BASC, NGO and others wish to see the lowering of standards, or indeed that we don’t wish to see the GWCT standards implemented across every single shoot in Wales – it is that by licencing something, you first have to ban it. And that is what Natural Resources Wales are proposing here - a total ban on the release of game birds across Wales. 

When one considers the history of the Welsh Government and shooting though – that it banned game shooting on public land, refused to pay Covid recovery grants to shooting-related businesses and which says it disagrees in principle with game shooting – it is not a big leap to assume that this really is merely aa starting gun on a slow march to the Welsh Governments ultimate goal, which is an end to shooting. 

For at least three decades shooting has been wrestling with the challenges of its success. Game shooting has grown hugely in popularity and the demand to shoot pheasants and partridges has created a big growth in the number of shoots and the number of birds released. Conducted properly, management for game shooting undoubtedly creates a net biodiversity gain as everyone from the RSPB to the GWCT agrees. There are concerns, however, that done badly the release of pheasants and partridges can have negative impacts and that the economic benefits cannot justify damage to the countryside.

This is a challenge that shooting organisations have understood for a very long time and through the Code of Good Shooting Practice and British Game Assurance we have constantly pushed for high standards and self-regulation in the industry. The good news is that most shoots do operate to high standards and are of immense benefit to the countryside, but some have succumbed to the temptation generated by the demand for more and more shooting and have been releasing too many birds or releasing in inappropriate habitats.

The problem with that argument is not that all of us do not want to raise standards, but that it requires a leap of faith in the Welsh government which has a very chequered history in this area. By introducing statutory licensing it would be giving itself powers to progressively restrict game shooting until it is impossible. If anyone doubts the ability of governments to do this they should look to Holland where, whilst it remains legal to shoot a pheasant, it is illegal to release or feed one.

Ending game shooting in Wales would have a devastating impact on biodiversity and the livelihoods of those living in the Welsh countryside which is why it is of the utmost importance that everyone with an interest in game shooting in Wales, even if they come from England, Scotland or Northern Ireland, responds to this consultation. It takes 30 seconds, and not only sends a response to NRW, but also emails the Minister in charge and your local MS if you live in Wales. 

You only have until Tuesday 20 June to respond. Please sign our e-lobby today.

This article was first published in Fieldsports Journal in June 2023.