Sporting Gun UK – May 2019

8 SPORTING GUN M AY 2019 http://www.shootinguk.co.uk

SNAPSHOTS

Bywellexpands

itsfacilities

Bywellshootingground

recentlyreopenedaftersignificant

redevelopment.ThegroundinMorpeth,

Northumberland,hasexpandedits

gunroomandretailspaceinresponse

toa growingcustomerbase.Theworks

tookplaceoverthepastyear.Tomark

theircompletion,Bywell,whichopened

in1980,heldaneventtomarkthe

relaunch,attendedbymembersofthe

gun trade and customers.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Sportingchampionship

headstoIreland

TheICTSFWorldSporting

Championshipisduetotakeplace

ontheDevonishlandsinCoMeath

between3-6July2019.Itwilbethe

firsttimetheeventhasbeenheldin

Ireland.Claytargetshootersfrom

acrosstheglobewillcompete

againstthebackdropofthe

500-acreDowthHallestatebeside

theRiverBoyneintheeastofthe

country.Around1,100shooters

areexpectedtoattendandtest

themselvesoncoursessetbyRichard

Faulds,theICTSFWorldChampionand

Olympic Gold medallist.

Anewreporthashighlightedthevitalrole

thatgrousemoorsplayintheeconomic

successoftheScottishuplands.

TheauthorsofSocioeconomicand

biodiversityimpactsofdrivengrousemoors

inScotlandpointoutthatallthecountry ’s

grousemoorsaresitedonareasofpoor

agriculturalgroundthatwouldbeunsuitable

foralternativeuse,suchassheepfarming,

forestryandwindfarms,withouthefty

subsidiesfromthepublicpurse.

Incontrast,thereisnosubsidyforgrouse

s

f

m

GrousehelpsScottish

economy fl y

AlexHogg,chairmanoftheScottish

GamekeepersOrganisation,said:“Some

groupsseekingtobangrouseshooting

havebeenpromotingtheideathatgrouse

moorscanbeusedforotheractivitieslike

horticultureandhousing...Noteveryone

lovesgrouseshootingandweacceptthat,

butthereneedstobeanacknowledgment,

asthereportstates,thatmanybenefitsare

derivedfromanactivitywhichisnotgoing

capinhandallthetimetothepublic purse

orrelyingoncharity,”headded.

Ban onpheasantshooting

in Wales comes into force

Abanonpheasantshootingonpublicland in

Walescameintoforceon1 March.

Itisnownolongerlegaltoshootonland

managedbyNaturalResourcesWales(NRW).

Thedecisiontoendshootingandrearing

ofgamebirdsonNRWlandwastaken

byHannahBlythyn,theformerWelsh

environmentminister,andwentagainst

advicefromexpertsina report.Fieldsports

organisationsopposedthemoveand

criticisedit foritsdamagingeffectsandlack

ofrationale.Animalwelfare organisations

hadarguedfortheban.

MsBlythyn,whoisnowdeputyministerfor

housing,saidthatshehadmerelyexpressed

a viewandNRWwasnotrequiredtoactonit.

NRWhas,however,saidthatit would:

• Considerrequestsfor permissionsto drive
  birds from the Welsh Government Woodland

Estate(WGWE),providedthatactivitydoes

notinvolveflushingpheasantsoverguns;

• Reviewthe leasingof wildfowlshooting
  rightswhenthepotentialimpactson
  conservationspeciesareknownfollowing
  workbeingundertaken by NRW’s
  ornithologists.
  TheBoardalsoagreedthatNRWwould
  considerapplicationsforpermissiontocarry
  outcontrolofwildspeciesusingfirearmson
  thelandit manages,andthatapplications
  forfirearmsuseforotherpursuits,such
  asclaypigeon/targetshooting,wouldbe
  consideredontheirindividualmerits.
  DrMadeleineHavard,NRW’sacting
  chair,said:“Asa landmanagerwetakean
  evidence-basedapproachtoallouractivities,
  andsustainablemanagementofnatural
  resources is our core purpose.”

PAUL QUAGLIANA, ALAMY

Fromparishpriest

topaperbackwriter

RemainingReverendisToddyHoare’s

taleofhis 24 yearsasa ruralparish

priestinNorthYorkshire,covering

eightchurchesand 12 villages.This

livelyaccounthasinsightsintoToddy’s

earlylifeandinfluences,hisartandhis

singulartakeonlife.Itispublishedby

Zeticula and costs £12.95.

Thereverend

Toddy Hoare

Grouseshooting

contributes£23m

to Scotland’s economy