The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

BASC fights Wild Justice’s attempt
to ban game bird releasing


Not satisfied with their attacks on general licences to control pest species, Wild Justice is now challenging the release of game birds on EU-designated land with a 5km buffer zone. BASC is active in ensuring that the government does not back down to legal threats and has worked with MPs to guarantee the 2020-21 season and defeat this challenge for the future.

The legal challenge


Wild Justice is claiming that Defra is allowing the release of game birds on designated land in breach of the law. Last month, Wild Justice sent Defra a letter before action asking them to halt release on designated land with a 5km buffer zone.

BASC action


• Mapped the areas affected and estimated the massive damage halting release would do to the environment, economy and shooting. The results can be seen here.

• Briefed the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Shooting and Conservation, for which BASC provides the secretariat, and asked the 163 parliamentarians who are members to take the issue up with Ministers. Click here for more information.

• Chief Executive Ian Bell with the chairman, Eoghan Cameron, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP and Victoria Prentis MP met and briefed Theresa Villers, the Secretary of State for the Environment and demanded a robust response. The Minister promised to issue a statement (see below).

• Briefed other politicians at cabinet-level who will raise the issue with Downing Street.

• Have mapped all affected constituencies so that MPs are informed of the damage that could be done to their constituencies.

• Have registered our intention to be listed as an interested party should the matter ever come to court so that we can make our case before the judge.

• Are speaking to newly-appointed Defra ministers to ensure a robust government response.

Result so far

On 11 February, the Defra Minister responsible for shooting gave a written answer tabled by Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Shooting and Conservation. The answer stated:

• The Secretary of State will make a statement shortly.

• Confirmed in its response to Wild Justice that work on the review is underway and that Defra will announce further details in the coming weeks.

• Stated that in Defra’s view it is not reasonable nor realistic to expect any measures to be implemented before summer/autumn 2020.

This means that it is unlikely that there will be any changes to releasing game birds for the 2020-2021 season. BASC is undertaking further work with Natural England and Defra to ensure that releasing on designated sites is robustly underpinned by law and will continue, as it did without damage to the environment on these sites before they were designated.

We will ensure that members are informed of progress.

TRG-22 wrote:

christel wrote:So what exactly is the point of Wild Justice? Both to do with this situation and in general.

To put the other point of view which is to question whether we have the right, or to what extent we have the right, to kill wildlife for our own convenience.

Disclaimer - I don't know how "extreme" the views/actions/proposals of them are, but I do support the principle of having campaigners against the accepted, the status quo, in all areas.

Clarification - I'm (clearly) not opposed to shooting, I like eating meat, and I think that others who do also but bang on about how it's wrong to pick up a gun and kill animals are hypocrites. But that doesn't mean that I am not, or think nobody should be, questioning of some of the practices and policies involved. Are there alternatives to mass killing of badgers to deal with the problem of bovine TB transmission? Even if they cost more, do we have the moral right to kill animals instead? Are the ways that grouse moors are managed really beneficial to the environment, and other wildlife? There is at least some evidence which says that flooding downstream of them is exacerbated by current practices, and flooding takes human lives.

I think it is on par with the terrorist group Extinction Rebellion

Really?

Either you don't know anything about ER, or you have no idea what the word "terrorist" means.

So on the one hand you object to "extremist" groups, and then you come out with something extremely distorted like that?

never mind the damage that is being done in the process or how much money it costs society.

How much money will unchecked global heating and climate change cost society?

And how much society will it cost the human race?

The louder they shout they better they feel.

Maybe they shout so that those who will not listen find it harder to not hear?

Children

Can you justify your stance of classing those who campaign against doing nothing about anthropogenic climate change as terrorists to children who will have to live with the problem long after you are dead? Can you look them in the eye as you do so, and assure them that you are fulfilling one of the roles of an adult, which is to keep them safe?


You may well think that ER are going about it in the wrong way, and have proposals for better ways of campaigning, but we aren't going to get anywhere if people polarise the discussion by calling the people they disagree with terrorists and children.

christel wrote:Too much Greta here

What I do not get is that adults, I repeat ADULTS and politicians who should know better are listening to her drivel.
Get a grip. She is a doll being manipulated.

No doubt that ER is a domestic terrorist group. Look the definition up.

The various police forces who have had to deal with the crap ER is doing are of the same opinion.

Wild Justice, out to make as much harm as possible.

BASC is active in ensuring that the government does not back down to legal threats ... Wild Justice is claiming that Defra is allowing the release of game birds on designated land in breach of the law.