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Wildfowling ban looms for Findhorn Bay

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On 8 March, Moray Council will debate a call by Friends of Findhorn Bay to ban all shooting of geese and duck on the nature reserve. Earlier this year the group presented a petition signed by locals who do not want wildfowling to continue.

However the Findhorn Bay Local Nature Reserve Committee have approached the council to suggest a permit system and introduction of a warden to regulate shooting and the number of wildfowlers, to avoid a total ban. This is something that Findhorn and Kinloss Community Council have agreed to support Moray Council on.

Support the petition

A group of wildfowlers have set up their own petition to counter the threat of a total shooting ban. There is a Facebook page – Clean Findhorn Bay, Fowlers Day and you can support the petition by signing here for wildfowling to continue .

Wildfowler Martin Gauld from Elgin commented: “I have been shooting the bay since I was 13 years old. There has always been a gentleman’s agrreement in place about how you should do things when you are shooting, and it is the same old story that a few are spoiling it for the majority.

“The unwritten rule is that you don’t just shoot for the sake of it. You eat what you take or give it to people that do.

“With regards to claims that birds are being wounded and not despatched, I always say to other wildfowlers that if you have to think whether you can make a shot, then you probably can’t, so shouldn’t.”

Answering claims that the wildfowlers make local residents lives a misery as they are there shooting for hours every day he said: “I’m in my car about 5.30 waiting. The birds don’t normally fly off until about 8.30ish. I don’t spent the whole time shooting.”

Mr Gauld that he had received overwhelming support from other wildfowlers who came up to the area. “These are people who are spending money in the locoal area every year. They enjoy their sport and come up here as their holiday. They eat everything they shoot.”

You can support the petition here if you think the wildfowling should continue.