Packham ‘a threat to our livelihoods’

Rural workers have rallied in Perth to protest, claiming that TV presenter Chris Packham threatens rural livehoods.

The protest came as Mr Packham gave a talk on nature photography at Perth Concert Hall. Mr Packham has used his media profile to promote two petitions to end grouse shooting, as well as the legal challenge to the general licences in 2019 by Wild Justice, the organisation he helped to found.

“He hasn’t managed land in his life and knows nothing …”

Gamekeeper Allan Hodgson said: “Chris Packham is tarring whole communities. He doesn’t know these communities, how they work and what binds them together. It’s a bit rich. He hasn’t managed land in his life and knows nothing of the challenges.

“He is seeking to ban activities which bring benefits and jobs to people, and help threatened wildlife and fragile areas.

“Folk have had enough. If he is serious about making things better he shouldn’t start by trying to put people who manage the land every day out of work. He should be talking to them,” he added.

Mr Packham has previously provoked anger in the fieldsports and gamekeeping communities by labelling shooters ‘psychopaths’ and by promoting false claims that British shooters were killing lapwings and puffins.

Lianne MacLennan of the Angus Glens Moorland Group, who organised the protest, told Shooting Times: “I am overwhelmed at the turnout of rural workers in Perth.
“It just goes to show we may be a small community in the grand scheme of things but we are tight, and certainly not the psychopaths [Mr Packham] makes us out to be. We are families, small communities and hard-working people who love the countryside. Enough is enough.

“We all love wildlife, so we have common ground,” she added.

“He is threatening all our livelihoods. I would like to ask Chris, why not meet us and tell us what you think of us in person, rather than behind a camera? Why not work with us instead of against us? The invitation is there to you.”