Shooting Times & Country – 17 July 2019

Shooting plays vital part in

rural economy, says Gove

Environmentsecretary
MichaelGovehasappeared
infrontoftheenvironment,
foodandruralaffairs
committeetoanswer
questionsoverhisrolein
thegenerallicencechaos.
Whileherefusedto
releasethefulllegaladvice
giventoDefra,thelackof
evidencetosupporttheold
licenceregimeappeared to
bethekeyissue.
Ina colourfulphrasehe
said,“therealproblemis
that,inessence,thegeneral
licenceswerenota seaworthy
vessel,andtherotsetin
before2019”.However,Mr
Goveappearedconfidentthat
thenewlicenceswerewell
supportedandcouldsurvive
a legal challenge.

Ex-shadowenvironment

secretaryKerryMcCarthy

attackedshootinggroups,

claimingthatNaturalEngland

hadbeen“intimidated”.She

said:“I getfarmoreabuse

fromtheshootinglobbythan

fromanyothersector.It is

pretty unpleasant.”

However,MrGove—who

confirmedthatheholds

a shotgunlicence—hitback

witha strongdefenceof

shooting,saying:“I believe

thatgameshootingplays

a veryimportantpartin

conservationandour

rural economy.”

Action call on curlew decline

Agroupofexpertshas
gatheredat 10 Downing
Streettodiscussthe
precipitousdeclineinthe
UK’scurlewpopulation.
Curlewhavesuffered
hugedeclines,withincreased
predationandchangesin
agriculturalpracticecausing
a 42percentfallinnumbers
between 1995 and2008,
according to the RSPB.

JakeBerry,theNorthern

Powerhouseminister,said:

“Thehopeis thatwecan

makethecurlewthepandaof

UKconservation.Thisis an

extraordinarydeclinefrom

whatwasoneofourmost

commonbirdsintheUK.

“Thespeciesis iconic.You

don’thavetobebirdwatcher

torecognisethecall,butif we

can’t stop the extinction in the

UKofthecurlewthenthere

aresomanyotherspecieslike

snipeandlapwingtiedup with

thesamehabitats.”

Landmanaged

forshootingis widely

acknowledgedasoffering

someofthebesthabitatfor

curlews,withstrongevidence

showingthatpredatorcontrol

bygamekeepersbooststhe

birds’ breeding success.

Michael Gove: general licences “were not a seaworthy vessel”

Experts are looking at ways to reverse the steep decline in curlew numbers since the 1990s

SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE • 9

NEWS IN BRIEF

Eagle-eyedgamekeepersin

Northumberlandhavenoticedsome

newadditionstothecounty’sbirdlife.

A goldeneaglehasbeenrepeatedly

spottedinthecountyaftercrossingthe

borderfromScotland.DrCatBarlow

attheSouthofScotlandGoldenEagle

Projectconfirmedthatthebirdis oneof

t t p o c t

in

I

it

a

t

n e

C.

Eaglessightedin

Northumberland

ChildrenintheeastofEnglandhave

beengettinga tasteofvenison,

courtesyofBASC.Roughly10,

childreninEssex,Suffolkand

Cambridgeshirehavetriedthemeat

atfoodandfarmingdaysorganised

byBASCEastern.Aswellastasting

venison,thechildrenlearnedabout

thevalueofdeermanagement,the

differentdeerspeciesand the types of

habitattheyprefer.

TerryBehan,BASC’sEastofEngland

regionalofficer,said:“Theeventwas

a roaringsuccess—tohavetheability

toshowcasevenisondirectlytothat

numberofchildrenwasa truedelight.It

washardandhotworkfortheteam,but

toseetheresponsesfromchildrenand

their teachers was exceptional.”

Youngstersgeta

taste of venison

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