Shooting

The CLA is representing members' views and interests on the Lead Ammunition Group, CLA  Director General Adrian Gane met with those from other organisations in late April to discuss the objectives of the group. (Posted 18 May 2010)

CLA Policy on Shooting

Almost all our members either shoot or allow shooting over their land, for pest control or for sport. Shooting provides considerable economic, social and environmental benefits. It is important that any controls are balanced against these. The CLA calls on government to:

• recognise that the legal use of firearms for sports and land management is not the problem - that is confined to their illegal use in crime;
• remove disproportionate restrictions on the consumption of game meat; and 
• ensure that the Code for Game Rearing does not go beyond what is required for best practice.

Code of Practice for Gamebird Welfare

The CLA is delighted  that the  Defra Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes was withdrawn before it become legally binding.  We lobbied the Opposition before the Coalition Government was formed and afterwards on this issue.

The industry is happy to have a code to protect welfare, and one had been agreed which codified best practice. However, several last-minute additions had been made which had not been discussed with the Defra Gamebird Working Group, on which the CLA served. Defra Minister Jim Paice has now reconvened the working group and we look forward to working on it for a sensible code which reflects members' interests. (Posted 27 May 2010)

Lead Ammunition Group

This has been set up by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).  Its aim is to advise Defra and the Food Standards Authority (FSA) on the key threats to wildlife from lead ammunition and to consider how, if there are significant threats, they might be solved. It is also considering whether there is a risk to human health through the use of lead shot and, if so, what should be done about it. The CLA's view is that the precautionary principle alone is not enough to justify a ban - peer-reviewed research showing harm would be necessary.

Members may be interested in the summary of research on this topic submitted by Efra.

Background

Lead shot is already banned in wildfowl grounds because of the risk of lead poisoning of water birds - they may eat spent pellets. The effect on the population of  birds is unknown.  In game birds there is a much lower prevalence of lead pellets found in their digestive systems - research suggests less than five percent, and they seem to pass through their systems relatively quickly. The group will be looking carefully at research on whether or not lead shot in the environment may cause a decline in raptor numbers.

There are a number of areas of concern. Alternatives to lead shot which can be used in classic British shotguns are much more expensive and an outright ban on lead shot - not presently envisaged - could have an impact on those attempting to control pests on their land, for example.Those who stalk deer point out that lead shot is a more humane way to kill than the alternatives.  Steel shot cannot be safely used in commercial woodlands: it can damage chainsaws when timber is felled.

 Views and experience in the USA are mixed. Arizona, for example, has worked closely with hunters and seen condor numbers rise.

The value of shooting - economic:

• The value of shooting to the UK economy is £1.6 billion,
• Shooting supports the equivalent of almost 70,000 full-time jobs,
• Shooters spend £2billion each year on goods and services. 

The value of shooting - environmental:

• Two million hectares are managed for conservation because of shooting,
• Shoot providers spend £250 million a year on conservation,
• Shooters spend 2.7 million work days on conservation - the equivalent of 12,000 full-time jobs.

Contrary to its image as an activity only for the privileged, most of the shooting available in the UK is pest control - pigeon and rabbit shooting. This protects crops.

Conservation for managed shoots includes planting trees and hedges to provide better habitat. In 2004, for example, shooters spent £8m on trees. Higher densities of butterflies are found on land managed for shoots. Rats, mink and crows are commonly shot as pests, allowing greater biodiversity. Of pheasants and partridges, 99 percent are eaten. Such birds are the ultimate in healthy, low fat, free-range food.

Figures are taken from Shooting Sports a peer-reviewed report by the independent Public & Corporate Economic Consultants, co-sponsored by the CLA.