A Message from Martha – the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon and its relevance today, Behind the binoculars (with Keith Betton), Fighting for Birds – 25 years in nature conservation, https://wildjustice.org.uk/general/wild-justice-in-conversation/. I stand by that, it's not an insult to campaigners in Scotland. Cheers guys, and very many thanks. Not for the first time, the UK Government has indicated that public health emergency rules don’t apply to their wealthy friends. You read and agreed to our Privacy Policy. So a welcome step change in government approach, but plent yof opportunities for it be watered down, under resourced and ultimately ineffective. It maybe wasn't your intention, but no matter. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Scotland is very quick off the mark to point out where it's contributed to world culture, not so much when it comes to where we've benefitted from others. There is a lot of work to be done, and it will largely be led by the larger Scottish NGOs such as the RSPB, to make sure that the licensing regime which is introduced will be as strong as possible. It's pathetic. National Trust and Forestry England suspend trail hunting Self-regulation by the grouse moor industry has not tackled the issues of wildlife crime and damage to the environment by unregulated muirburn. Try and work out for yourself what the reason is. The research found that it sustains many jobs and delivers high levels of local and regional investment at no cost to taxpayers. You and your colleagues Ruth and Chris are to be roundly congratulated for this success as well as the RSPB. Personally I think everyone should follow their own path which rules out being led by any piece of rag waved at the end of a pole because of where your mummy happened to be when you popped out of her tummy. The red grouse is a wild, ground-nesting bird of the heather moorlands, unique to the UK. But it said between 47 per cent and 86 per cent of this came from the public purse, whereas driven grouse and deer stalking required no taxpayer contribution. Fergus Ewing and Alex Hogg are Scottish. If it does not work there will be nowhere left to hide for the shooting industry and the arguments for a ban will be overwhelming. Grouse season has kicked off today with the Glorious Twelfth at the Rottal Estate in Glen Clova, near Kirriemuir, Scotland (pictured) and near Ripon, North Yorkshire. Driven grouse shooting has disproportionate employment and economic benefits in the areas where it occurs. Personally I see no sense or self respect in being ruled from another country which has no democracy and has no respect for us or our environment. I remain sceptical of how well licensing might work but this is an evening to be optimistic and to hope that those who can, do make the licensing system fit for the purpose of clamping down on wildlife crime and on environmental damage generally. The study also warned that shifting moorland use to conservation, woodland and farming - as favoured by environmental groups - would require an extra cash injection by "wealthy individuals" or the taxpayer. Grouse shooting at 12:06 on 27/11/2020 by Stanley wood Is this just a another thing to stop grouse shooting we all know the Scotish gov want to go green so if they get this it could be end of shooting and they be happy .then you’ll see the moors planted with trees that what happen to some where I stay not happy will not be supporting snp and what about all the jobs shooting and fishing support s For those of us determined to see an end to this damaging hobby, it represented a great leap forward. The illegal killing of birds of prey; muirburn on peatland soils damaging our vital carbon stores; the mass culling of mountain hares; and the continued use of lead ammunition have absolutely no place in 21st century Scotland. Aye right. Well, thank heavens for that! We will see in due course how effective a licensing system is in terms of resolving the problems associated with driven grouse shooting but this is good news. ... looking promising. 2020 was another awful year for those involved in grouse shooting, and one which brought the end of driven grouse shooting closer. One wee question for you as well BSA, if anything open hill deer stalking might be an even bigger affront to Scotland than DGS, it may cover a larger area than grouse moors do (see Ben MacDonald's 'Rebirding'). The research found that it sustains many jobs and delivers high levels of local and regional investment while receiving no public funding. Many Scottish country sports providers throughout Scotland offer driven or walked up red grouse shooting with the season 12th August – 10th December (30th November NI) You could hardly have missed the established Scottish view that if you live in Scotland you have the right to participate fully in Scotland and that your origins, English or whatever, are irrelevant. By extension I'll point out that 'South of the border' could also apply to people like Ruth Tingay who after all was the driving force behind Raptor Persecution Scotland now Raptor Persecution UK. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. I think you are being a little unfair on Mark and Chris here. I'm not sure that either Mark or Chris had much to do with this particular development, indeed Mark has been rather scathing and dismissive of the idea of licensing. We face twin crises in nature and climate that threaten human health and wellbeing and the survival of many species across the planet. The SNP are pass masters at talking a good game and delivering very little so I suggest that people maybe rein in their expectations a bit. So it is surprising that you fill your posts with the view that the conservation work of English individuals here is unwelcome or that these somehow negate the debate which is going on (and apparently going right over your head) regarding the past and future relationship between the two countries, not to mention in Wales and Ireland also. They too will have to be careful and strike a balance, short term weak licensing will lead to stronger licensing or even a complete ban on driven grouse shooting, just as failure to self-regulate has led to licensing. The minister suggested it could take three years. As far I am aware neither of them is seeking credit for this decision but amongst many others they have surely played a part in bring it about. I know there is a long way to go but at last we can see some positive action on this very important issue. Though like a lot of People I don't see how Licensing will be upheld and monitored .This is a Momentous Step in the right direction,A Very Well Done to Everyone involved.It will be really interesting to see and hear this News filtering down to Westminster !! Learn how your comment data is processed. Thursday, 17th September 2020, 2:22 pm. The Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) said grouse shooting supported 2,640 full-time jobs in Scotland, with 8,800 people employed in different roles in total. If anything the press for change from England caused hurdles not pressure. A ground nesting bird, the red grouse is fast and agile, and is considered to provide a testing game shooting opportunity. Yes, this is very good news. Please stop blaming everything on the English. That is a tricky balance to strike and will require a lot of detailed, largely behind-the-scenes work. Standing up for Nature Grouse shooting businesses will need a licence to operate under new Scottish Government proposals that also include controls for muirburn – the burning of vegetation in moorland areas. Even if this is yet another window dressing exercise from Scotgov it will do them no favours. In addition the habitat of grouse makes them hard to spot – they are mostly found in heather moorland. So carry on howling at the moon while they laugh at you from London's Square Mile. We have never heard such passionate condemnation of wildlife crime in Westminster, and in the last 10+ years never from Conservative ministers. It will be interesting to see how the rotten Government in Westminster react, badly I expect or not at all. We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism. A widespread transition away from driven grouse towards woodland creation would likely result in job losses "in some regions", it said, although some of this could be offset through tourism development. We are very excited to offer this exclusive 100 brace driven grouse shooting and 2 nights castle stay package deal at the majestic Thirlestane Castle in the Scottish Borders: 100 brace driven grouse day on Thirlestane moor team of 8-9 Guns exclusive use of the castle state rooms and recently renovated luxury apartments full catering… Isn't current landownership in Scotland due to our own history not imposition from south of the border? In which case they'll be reluctant to do anything remotely controversial, even if Parliamentary time allowed it, which it may well not. Scotland. We are keen to work with the Scottish Government and other stakeholders to quickly bring about an effective licensing system, to help address the nature and climate crises, to encourage sustainable management of our uplands and to consign raptor persecution to the history books. 'FREEDOM!!!!!!' Maybe if we stopped worrying about being civil all the time, but for now a ban is a necessary step. We know we are all in this for the long haul so we can allow ourselves a wee dram (or fruit cocktail) to celebrate that things are moving forward. Shooters gathering on Scottish moorlands today for the Glorious Twelfth opening of the grouse season will be taking extra precautions to reduce the chances of spreading the coronavirus. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The red grouse is a wild, ground-nesting bird of the heather moorlands, unique to the UK. Prices held from 2020 providing a exceptional sporting day with full hospitality. It is time for Scotland and the Scots to decide our own path, Us Alone! But the RSPB has led the call for licensing and although stumbling at times, particularly south of the Border, they deserve all of our thanks and support, and they will need, working with a range of other environmental groups in Scotland, to make sure that the right licensing scheme is delivered. Which is what you are trying to inflict on us, especially with your patronising "cybernats" insult. But I was also struck by the repeated condemnation of raptor persecution by many politicians across several parties (including Conservatives). We're aw Jock Tamson's bairns Random. Bullshit. When did you last influence a decision made in Westminster and when do you seriously think it will ever be possible? Yes indeed. Wonder how long it'll take him to repeat his hilarious bleating here. and all the other NGOs that have campaigned for this result. We've had too many already and this could be the straw that breaks the camel's back after the big fanfare about protection for beaver and mountain hare which turned out to be pretty meaningless. Matthew - yes, but that's always the way. When it was pointed out to a rather rabid Scotnat that far from being a downtrodden country Scotland had been a very enthusiastic participant in the transatlantic slave trade she replied on social media 'That was only because of English influence'. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. A typical day’s grouse shooting consists of meeting at 09.00 where the team will meet the hosts and any shoot day helpers (loaders/minders), who will take care of the guns throughout the days shooting. Grouse is a challenge for shooters because the birds fly fast, making them particularly testing. The grouse is the pinnacle of sporting game birds. Raptor workers, often unsung heroes (of each and every gender), have amassed the data which have shown the raptor deficit on Scotland’s driven grouse moors. Britain is always terrified of big changes, no matter how needed they are, we are a nation that can only embrace small incremental "reasonable" changes in the way things work. Grouse shooting businesses will need a licence to operate under new Scottish Government proposals that also include controls for muirburn – the burning of vegetation in moorland areas. Scotland's role in the Empire and in slavery, good and bad, is not in dispute, but your interpretation of that, its current significance, and what constitutes a colony certainly would be, as would be your Daily Mail caricature of the movement for self determination. So 2023 at the earliest. There are only two political parties in Scotland that have representatives who speak up for the shooting lobby: the Tories and the SNP. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Maybe, just maybe, there is a shadow looking over the shoulders of those in government at Westminster now. The choice is then licencing vs a ban, instead of licencing vs nothing. It has long been one of the highlights of the royals’ calendar but it will be a less Glorious 12th for the Queen this year after grouse shooting was cancelled at Balmoral due to a shortage of birds. Shaan. We have collated some frequently asked questions (FAQs) that will be updated as the situation develops. There is lots of work for thse in Scotland to do to make this ahppen well, but at least something is almost bound to happen. Jobs Classifieds. This is great news and very well said in your blog Mark, so, so right. But for me the biggest issue is going to be enforcement. The red grouse is a completely wild bird and not reared then released as are pheasant and partridge. Offering Driven Grouse shooting on Scotland's premier sporting Estate. Thanks Mark and hope this evening you're partaking of 'a little light refreshment' as they call it in Edinburgh it's very well deserved. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Biden commits to re-entering Paris accord And while you praise others, you must take a lot of credit too. A licensing scheme for grouse moor shooting will be introduced in Scotland as part of efforts to stop the illegal killing of birds of prey, rural affairs minister Mairi Gougeon has announced. Licensing, for all three of us, is a step towards a ban - here is the video evidence https://wildjustice.org.uk/general/wild-justice-in-conversation/ after 14min30secs. The report found driven grouse created a full-time job for every 1,446 hectares of land compared to 4,000 ha for forestry, 2,100 for conservation and 1,793 for sheep farming. and now the Scottish Government moves decisively against driven grouse shooting. I'll settle for decisions made democratically in Scotland by the folk who live here. It is certainly true that Mark has lobbied hard for his preferred option of a ban and has made clear his reservations concerning the likely effectiveness of a licensing system but it is reasonable to conclude that the lobbying he has done has played some part in focusing the minds of the Scottish government and helped nudge them towards this decision. It was published prior to the Scottish Government’s response to the independent Werritty review on grouse moor management, which recommended a licensing scheme be imposed if raptor killings did not improve within a five-year probationary period. 'a Licensing regime will not be in place until after the next election, so 2022 at the earliest?'. Well done everyone , all at Wild Justice, the raptor workers, the unknown thousands who care passionately and do their bit, year in year out to protect our wildlife. Scotland came to terms with that a long time ago and has been moving on, something else that seems to have to escaped your notice. 2020 provided all these things. However, the study said deer stalking complemented other activities on estates such as woodland management, helping to "maintain a larger year-round staff team.". ", Dr Colin Sheddon, director of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, said: "While conservation enterprises rely on public funding for 79 per cent of their revenue, grouse shooting and deer stalking enterprises require no direct public funding whatsoever. There's a long way to go yet though, but at least things seem to be moving at last. Grouse For those of us determined to see an end to this damaging hobby, it represented a great leap forward. Mark this is at the very least your victory as anybody else's. Gameekeepers, land owners and country sports groups last night welcomed the new assessment and argued that SNP ministers must heed its conclusions. There is a lot of work to be done, and it will largely be led by the larger Scottish NGOs such as the RSPB, to make sure that the licensing regime which is introduced will be as strong as possible. However, I would like to give a very special mention to Max at Revive who has done a lot to raise awareness among the SNP's membership and showed how much the leadership was out of touch with them over this. 14/09/2020 13:23 BST ... PA Grouse shooting in Scotland as 'the Glorious 12th', the official start of the grouse shooting season, got underway. Few years of name-calling and accusations the independent Scottish bodies who make up Revive by a piece rag... 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