BASC opposes Welsh gamebird release ban on Farming Today

BASC today told the BBC that the Welsh government’s proposals to licence all gamebird releasing is another step towards a future ban on shooting in Wales.

BASC director of Wales, Steve Griffiths, featured on BBC Radio 4 Farming Today to discuss the unnecessary and unevidenced nature of the proposals. Listen to Steve (from 5.17mins) here.

During the interview, Steve spoke of the consequences of the legislative approach of licensing, saying, “as we know with general licences, they can be reviewed every year and the conditions can be changed every year.”

Steve also spoke of the added value brought by shooting. He said, “The benefits for those releases and the work of gamekeepers, conservation work, especially across Wales, is huge. It is unfair to just say we now need more legislation when there is already legislation in there that could work anyway”.

Steve went on to talk about how this is the thin end of wedge when it comes to the Welsh government’s view on shooting. He said that the Welsh government “banned shooting on public owned land a few years ago, and they refused Covid funding to legitimate companies when we were locked down in Covid, and this is just another step on how they can restrict, and in future time ban, shooting in Wales.”

Steve urged people to respond to the consultation, you can do so here.

In response Farming Today’s Anna Hill interviewed Wild Justice director Mark Avery.

Read more on BASC’s Act Now campaign here.