Groundswell of support for grouse shooting ahead of next week's debate

The Petitions Committee requested written submissions from the public to inform MPs ahead of the debate on grouse shooting in Westminster Hall on 31st October. Of the 467 written submissions that have now been made public, the vast majority are positive about the benefits of grouse shooting and moorland management.



The written submissions come from all walks of life, with many coming from those whose livelihoods depend on grouse shooting; hoteliers, publicans, joiners, plumbers, mechanics, cleaners, cooks and gamekeepers. There are also submissions from people who live in remote areas and enjoy the social aspect of shooting, as well as from grouse shooters who travel to these remote corners and spend their money in their communities.



On the other hand, submissions relating to the banning of grouse shooting focus almost entirely on the issue of raptor persecution, which the Countryside Alliance is fully committed to stamping out, and, more worryingly, the 'elitist' nature of grouse shooting and the need to re-wild grouse moors.



Liam Stokes, Head of Shooting at the Countryside Alliance, said

"It was a joy to read so many positive submissions from such a variety of backgrounds. We often talk about the millions of pounds of investment grouse shooting pours into rural communities, but these submissions show the human face of what that investment actually achieves. It is easy to imagine the damage a ban on grouse shooting would do to the people who are directly employed by upland estates, but this inquiry has shown how many people and families would suffer indirectly, as a result of the loss of local employment, businesses and communities.

"As more evidence is released it is increasingly clear that grouse shooting is intricately linked with the uplands, and plays a vital role for thousands of people and their families. Those that want to see it banned seem to have little thought for those jobs and no idea what might replace the land use.

"The Countryside Alliance is extremely grateful to everyone who took time to respond to this inquiry and help MPs understand what impact any restrictions on grouse shooting would have on upland communities. We will continue to lobby MPs until the debate (31^st October), and we will make sure they are aware of the many personal perspectives people have shared."





TOP FIVE:

Below we have highlighted five of our favourite submissions. It was a tough task choosing from so many heartfelt pieces of evidence, but we have chosen a former gamekeeper at the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project, a local business, a local resident, a current gamekeeper and an estate.

Former Gamekeeper - Simon Lester

Local Business - Shepherd Groundwork

Local Resident - Gemma Powell

Gamekeeper - Gary Kennedy

Estate - Ramsgill Estate