Countryside Alliance lodges BBC complaint

The Countryside Alliance has lodged a formal complaint with the BBC over what it describes as a biased and misinformed article attacking driven grouse shooting that appeared on its Wildlife magazine website.

The controversial piece – titled “Opinion: why should wildlife lose to businesses underpinned by criminal activity? Mark Carwardine on driven grouse shooting” – was published online on 4 June following its appearance in BBC Wildlife Magazine. The Alliance says it fails to meet the BBC’s editorial standards requiring fair, accurate and impartial coverage.

Written by Mark Carwardine, a regular BBC presenter who has hosted Nature on Radio 4 and co-presented Last Chance to See, it describes driven grouse shooting as a “repugnant ‘sport’ pursued by a tiny elite” and calls for a complete ban on it. Mr Carwardine alsoclaims the activity involves “wildlife slaughter and habitat desecration” on an “industrial scale.”

Adrian Blackmore, the Countryside Alliance’s director of shooting, submitted the formal complaint, highlighting multiple breaches of BBC guidelines. He argues that Mr Carwardine has “either intentionally ignored or is ignorant of the available science and evidence that is wholly supportive of grouse shooting and its associated management”.

The complaint emphasises that proper grouse moor management has been proven to play a vital role in creating and maintaining upland landscapes, preserving heather habitat and peatland, sustaining rare plants and wildlife, and promoting biodiversity. For many upland communities, the practice serves as a crucial economic driver.

Mr Blackmore’s letter points to specific violations of BBC editorial standards, noting that as a regular presenter, Mr Carwardine should not present personal views on controversial subjects. 

The complaint also criticises the article’s reliance on unreferenced reports from campaign groups including the League Against Cruel Sports, Rewilding Britain and the RSPB, without presenting counterarguments or supporting evidence for grouse shooting.

The formal complaint states that the article breaches multiple sections of BBC guidelines, including those relating to impartiality and the association of BBC staff with campaigning bodies. 

The Countryside Alliance argues that by publishing the piece in BBC Wildlife Magazine, which claims to contain “brilliant content you can trust”, the corporation has failed in its mission to provide impartial, high-quality output.

Countryside Alliance chief executive Tim Bonner indicated that the organisation will continue monitoring BBC output for bias and inaccuracies. The complaint seeks acknowledgment that the article failed to meet the BBC’s stated editorial standards and Royal Charter obligations.

The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between conservation groups and shooting organisations over the management of Britain’s uplands, with both sides presenting conflicting evidence about the environmental impact of driven grouse shooting