Game Shooting

Dear Constituent, 

Thank you for contacting me about game shooting.

While I appreciate your concerns about game shooting, it brings vital income to rural communities and the land management for game shooting can bring significant benefits to the environment. For example, planting cover crops can help to boost biodiversity as heather also benefits lapwing, curlew, golden plover and the rare merlin.

Furthermore, gamekeepers play a valuable role in predation control. I understand that, where the control of predators has been relaxed, numbers of birds like some of those listed above (the lapwing, golden plover and rare merlin), have dropped significantly. Therefore, a choice must be made about what we wish to prioritise: an unendangered predator species or the endangered prey themselves. 

It is of course the case that the overwhelming majority of gamekeepers and land managers do not break the law. Shooting organisations also have a zero-tolerance policy on unlawful acts, and anyone convicted will face a large fine or potentially jail time. It is heartening to hear that, thanks in part to moorland managed for grouse shooting, hen harrier numbers reached record levels in 2023, demonstrating the positive effect that moorland management can have on our bird of prey species. The Government must ensure that bird of prey crime remains a priority. There is a code of practice for good shooting developed by the industry (www.codeofgoodshootingpractice.org.uk), which applies to all game shooting, walked up, driven, wild bird or reared. As you will know, it is illegal to kill, injure or take a hen harrier, or to intentionally or recklessly disturb its nesting in the UK.  It is of course the case that the overwhelming majority of gamekeepers and land managers do not break the law.  Shooting organisations also have a zero-tolerance policy on unlawful acts, and anyone convicted will face a large fine or potentially jail time.  In April 2024, the National Wildlife Crime Unit launched the hen harrier taskforce.  The Government must ensure that bird of prey crime remains a priority.  

It is for these reasons that the previous Government supported gamebird shooting and I hope that the current Government also recognises the importance of game shooting to rural economies.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

SIR EDWARD LEIGH

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