Defra has reissued six general licences on a temporary basis for the control of wild birds. The temporary general licences in question (GL26, GL28, GL31, GL34, GL35 and GL36) will be reissued from 1 March to 31 July 2020. Licence users do not need to take further action, other than…
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Winners of the 2019 Purdey Awards for Game and Conservation announced
On Tuesday 4 February 2020 gamekeepers, landowners and members of the shooting community gathered at Apsley House in London to celebrate the winners of the 2019 Purdey Awards for Game & Conservation. The awards recognise those involved in the world of shoot management and conservation, and who achieve outstanding results…
Why you should go to the Great British Shooting Show this year
A success story – the Great British Shooting Show It is no secret that running shows and game fairs, in the shooting sector, is a difficult thing to get right. Over the past 20 years, a number of events have struggled and sadly a few have closed. However, the Great…
Is trouble with general licences brewing again?
New general licences expire soon Are general licences going to become unworkable again? Last year the three main general licences for the shooting and trapping of pest birds (GL34, GL35 and GL36) were temporarily revoked after a legal challenge. After delay and discussion they were reissued by Defra with validity…
Wild Justice moves to BLOCK gamebird releases
Today lawyers acting on behalf of Wild Justice have written to DEFRA challenging the legality of releases of gamebirds on Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) sites and Special Protection Areas (SPAs). Wild Justice says that in September 2019 DEFRA admitted that gamebird releases needed to be assessed properly and “promised…
Love Island contestant attracts anti-hunting criticism
Love Island contestant Ollie Williams posted images of himself on social media with game shot during a past trip to Africa and has been criticised for trophy hunting. A petition has been put up on Change.org calling for his removal from the ITV 2 series and attracted over 35,000 signatures.…
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…
Reactions to the Werritty report on grouse shooting in Scotland
The newly published Werritty report on grouse shooting in Scotland states that licensing should be introduced if there is no marked improvement in the ecological suitability of grouse management within the next five years. However Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has hinted that licensing could be imposed sooner than the five year…
Cancelling the shooting show cost Liverpool city £5 million
Cancelling the British Shooting Show Liverpool cost the city £5 million, according to an email obtained by Shooting Times. The show was cancelled in October after the intervention of city mayor Joe Anderson. The Great British Shooting Show had been the subject of a petition that inaccurately claimed it would…
Revive report finds against Scotland’s grouse moors
Revive was launched in November 2018 with the aim of “working for grouse moor reform in Scotland.” The coalition’s new report entitled: “A Better Way: How an alternative to grouse moors could help tackle climate change, increase biodiversity and benefit Scotland’s people” concludes that grouse moors have caused significant ecological damage…
Sabs could face criminal charges for trespass in future
Hunt saboteurs have complained that the latest rules proposed by the Tory manifesto will make sabotaging hunts “almost impossible” because they will face much more serious penalties after encroaching onto private land. However landowners and shoots which have been targeted by the anti-shooting lobby, suffering trespass and property damage, will doubtless…
General licences restricted on Leadhills Estate following wildlife crime
In the past week Scottish Natural Heritage has announced that it is restricting the use of general licences on the Leadhills Estate in South Lanarkshire after evidence of wildlife crime against birds was provided by Police Scotland. Nick Halfhide, SNH’s Director of Sustainable Growth, explained: “There is clear evidence that…
Pakistan to hold Extreme Long Range (ELR) shooting championship for first time
The second Muhammad Ali Jinnah Open Shooting Championship will be held in the city of Bahawalpur in southern Punjab region from 5th to 18th Dec 2019 – a city characterised by rich architecture and the serene beauty of the surrounding Cholistan desert. It is being held at the Noor Mahal Palace…
Labour launches “most radical animal welfare plan in the world”
Labour has called its plans for tackling wildlife crime the “most radical animal welfare plan in the world”. The party has stated that it would spend an additional £4.5m to recruit wildlife crime officers with numbers increasing from 88 to 170. The officers would be dedicated to dealing with illegal hare coursing,…
Do you have a deactivated firearm in your possession? Read on and stay within the law
All owners of deactivated weapons will now need to ensure that they notify the Home Office. From 12 December it will be a legal requirement to register the transfer of deactivated weapons with the Home Office. Notification of the possession of deactivated weapons will be staggered. Those acquired after September 2018…
British Shooting Show announces additional Manchester event
The British Shooting & Countryman Show will take place at Event City in Manchester on 19-20 September 2020 and on 18th & 19th September 2021, 17th and 18th September 2022 The September event was originally due to be held in Liverpool but was banned after action by the Mayor of…
Reading University bans pheasant shooting
Following an internal review, the University of Reading has decided to stop organised game shooting on its land. It will also no longer allow university farmland to be used to raise pheasants or partridges for shooting “once an existing agreement with an external group that uses University farmland comes to…
RSPB to review gameshooting and land management
Kevin Cox, the chair of the Council, has announced that the RSPB would be reviewing its policy on gameshooting and land management. He stated that RSPB policy makers would develop “a set of conservation tests for management practices associated with game bird shooting.” He acknowledged that this is an “emotive issue”. He…
Chris Packham confronted by moorland communities in Yorkshire
Moorland communities made their feelings loud and clear to Chris Packham, stressing that misleading statements and actions by the likes of the TV presenter are putting their way of life under threat. Chris Packham is renowned for speaking out against driven grouse shooting. The presenter, campaigner and author was met…
Liverpool city council condemns shooting of all animals as “barbaric”
A cross-party motion at a meeting of Liverpool city council on the evening of 16 October 2019 has condemned shooting of all animals as “barbaric.” The motion was put forward after plans for the British Shooting Show to take place in Liverpool in September 2020 were pulled by the council,…