Shooting Sports

Adrian Blackmore of the Countryside Alliance says that British people should “be proud of our shooting sports” in which people (mostly men) blast toxic lead shot into millions of birds and animals for amusement (D&S Times,Oct 2, 2015).
We might as well declare that we should be proud that some children tear the wings off flies.

What is there to be proud of in importing and factory farming tens of millions of foreign pheasants, to release them in woodlands so that people can frighten them into the air to shoot them down. What is worse, is the fact that in order to preserve these non-native pheasants, gamekeepers slaughter with snares, traps, poison and firearms, some five million native wild animals and birds such as foxes, crows, magpies, buzzards, stoats, weasels, and even domestic dogs and cats— any creature that might take a pheasant.

On the grouse moors things are even worse, as it is beyond dispute that legally protected birds of prey, particularly hen harriers, but also buzzards and golden eagles, are illegally killed to ensure that they don’t take grouse before extremely wealthy gun-crazy psychopaths get the chance to blast these game birds to death.

If anyone wishes to know the truth about Mr Blackmore’s “shooting sports”, they should read the recently published book Inglorious, written by Mark Avery, former conservation director for 13 years, of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. It is published by Bloomsbury.

John Bryant, wildlife consultant, Tonbridge, Kent.

Published in the Darlington & Stockton Times Friday, October 9, 2015