Shooting Times & Country Magazine
BGA offers new free-tojoin associate option
So long as shoots adhere to best-practice guidelines, they can sell their days through agents registered with British Game Assurance
British Game Assurance (BGA) has launched a free option for any shoot wanting to try membership of its assurance scheme. Joining will allow shoots to advertise as being ‘associated with British Game Assurance’. This allows them to explore accreditation without the financial outlay or need for an audit.
A move towards self-regulation through BGA has been heavily promoted by both shooting groups and the Government.
BGA chief executive Liam Stokes said: “Defra has told us what we need to do; we need as many shoots as possible to register with BGA. We at BGA have had to think about how we can deliver this at a time when shoots are under enormous pressure.
“We believe that broadening access to our associate scheme, and making it free to participate, is the fairest way to make sure everyone can participate,” he added.
Under the revamped ‘associate’ scheme, all shoots that adhere to the Code of Good Shooting Practice and the Wild Game Guide will be able to register free. All that is required is a name, a shoot name, an email address and a tickbox declaration of compliance with the code and the guide.
Shoots that register as ‘associates’ will be able to sell their shooting through
Bga-registered agents. However, full BGA membership will still be required to sell birds as Bga-assured game through Bga-registered game dealers and processors.
Mr Stokes explained: “We will continue to hone our fully certified BGA assurance scheme for those shoots that supply assured game to the game meat market. We are game shooting’s only assurance scheme and the demand for assured game will only grow.
“For everyone else, the option to associate with BGA means every shoot can do their bit for the future of shooting.”
BGA has survived a torrid first few years, with a change of leadership, a change of name and enormous disruption to the shooting
THEY SAID WHAT
“The option to associate means every shoot can do their bit for the future of shooting”
calendar from the COVID-19 pandemic and the outbreak of avian influenza. It remains to be seen whether this move will help to give fresh impetus to the organisation or will, as some fear, be looked at as a watering down of its standards.