BASC sets out rural shooting agenda ahead of Welsh elections

Economic contribution underlined

A manifesto demanding Welsh politicians put sustainable shooting at the heart of rural policy has been launched by BASC ahead of next month’s Senedd election.

Shooting and the management practices associated with it contribute an estimated £237 million annually to the Welsh economy, says BASC. It supports around 3,000 jobs and extends the tourism season into the winter months for hotels, pubs and restaurants in communities that would otherwise go quiet after the summer.

Despite all that, the sport faces growing scrutiny from the Welsh Government. In March, deputy first minister Huw Irranca-Davies launched an independent call for evidence on gamebird release, stating that it remained Welsh Government policy to move towards “a more regulated and sustainable system for managing gamebird releases, including the potential introduction of a future licensing regime”.

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Three core demands

BASC’s manifesto lands as that process is live and an election looms. It makes three core demands: public recognition of shooting’s wide-ranging contribution to rural Wales; acknowledgement that responsibly managed shooting delivers clear environmental benefits; and a commitment from the Welsh Government to produce action plans covering species, agricultural crops, forestry and native flora and fauna.

Among the specific proposals highlighted in the document, BASC is calling for new five-year action plans on managing deer and grey squirrels, replacing the ones that expired in 2022 and 2023 respectively. It also calls for a first-ever Welsh management plan for feral wild boar, a population currently concentrated in the south-east of the country.

The document also pushes for delivery of the Wales Single Species Action Plan for the curlew, which BASC co-wrote at the Welsh Government’s own request. Without coordinated action, the bird is projected to be extinct as a breeding species in Wales by 2033. The UK holds roughly a quarter of the world’s breeding population.

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Tackling abuse of gamekeepers

The manifesto also returns to findings from a 2020 survey of more than 1,000 gamekeepers, conducted with the Countryside Alliance and National Gamekeepers’ Organisation among others, in which nearly two-thirds reported having received abuse or threats as a direct result of their profession. Social media was identified as a growing source of that harassment. BASC wants the next Welsh Government to take steps to address it and to give keepers formal recognition for their role in conservation and land management.

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A hotly contested election

Polls ahead of the 7 May election point to a close contest between Plaid Cymru and Reform UK, with Welsh Labour’s position in Cardiff Bay under pressure. BASC has framed its manifesto as an appeal to all parties rather than a lobbying exercise aimed at any one of them.

Steve Griffiths, BASC’s Director for Wales, said: “This manifesto highlights the vital role that sustainable shooting and practical conservation play in supporting Wales’s environment, rural economy and communities. We look forward to engaging with Senedd candidates and future policymakers to ensure these contributions are fully recognised and supported.”