INGLORIOUS 12 T H
Labour launches attack on grouse shooting as many Scots estates are forced to cancel d ay s
COUNTRYsIDE groups dismissed Labour Party calls for a review of grouse shooting as a ‘thinly-veiled political attack’ yesterday.
The party claimed the financial benefits of hunting grouse are outweighed by the cost to the environment.
It said draining and burning moors in preparation for the season, which began yesterday on the ‘Glorious 12th’, destroys plant life and kills wildlife living alongside grouse – and said ‘simulated shooting’ could replace hunting.
In scotland, gamekeepers and landowners are resisting calls from conservation groups for moors to be licensed with an independent review of the sport, commissioned by the scottish Government, to be published shortly.
Yesterday the Countryside alliance said it was ‘extraordinary’ that Labour had launched a ‘thinly-veiled political attack on grouse shooting’ during ‘the present political turmoil’.
Burning heather on grouse moors releases 260,000 tons of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to the Committee on Climate Change, the Government’s advisory body.
Conservationists also claim mountain hares and wild birds such as hen harriers, red kites and golden eagles are killed illegally to protect grouse. shadow environment secretary sue Hayman said: ‘The costs of grouse shooting on our environment and wildlife need to be weighed up against the benefit of landowners profiting from shooting parties.
‘There are viable alternatives to grouse shooting such as simulated shooting and wildlife tourism. The time has come for a proper review.’
scottish Labour’s Climate Change and Environment spokesman Claudia Beamish MsP said: ‘a fifth of our land is given over to the creation of a playground to the rich.
‘The scottish Government’s independently commissioned Werritty Report will soon announce its recommendafacing tions for possible more robust criteria.’
In a statement, the prohunting Countryside alliance said: ‘It is quite extraordinary that in the present political turmoil and with all the serious environmental issues the world the Labour Party has chosen to launch a thinly-veiled political attack on grouse shooting.’
adrian Blackmore, the Countryside alliance’s director of shooting, said: ‘some of Labour’s claims are complete nonsense. If an independent review into grouse shooting would help increase Labour’s understanding of its benefits, then it should be welcomed.’
amanda anderson, the director of the Moorland association, told Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘seventyfive per cent of the heather moorland of the world is in Britain. It provides food for birds of prey when it is managed for grouse shooting, the management prevents wildfires (and) also supports remote rural businesses and the economy.’
shooting generates around £32million for the rural economy in scotland and supports 2,600 jobs.
But the Finzean Estate is one of many in aberdeenshire which has cancelled its shooting programme after a disappointing bird count.
Robert Rattray, of property consultant Galbraith, said: ‘Those lucky enough to have a surplus of grouse will likely only be shooting a small number of days, mostly with family members and a core of regular clients.’
Comment – Page 16
‘Viable alternatives’