One to watch in December: The Last Keeper
“A haunting echo of the past Highland Clearances”; Mike Montgomery reviews The Last Keeper, the feature-length documentary released earlier this year.
Get information on the legal shooting season for mammals and birds in the UK.
Apply for funding for your project or make a donation today
Comprehensive information and advice from our specialist firearms team.
Everything you need to know about shotgun, rifle and airgun ammunition.
Find our up-to-date information, advice and links to government resources.
Everything you need to know on firearms law and licensing.
All the latest news and advice on general licences and how they affect you.
In recent days there has been growing speculation regarding the future of the government’s farming and environment policies.
According to the media, the government is undertaking a review of the Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS), the system of paying farmers ‘subsidies’ based on a range of environmental work, and will soon have the ability to renege on environmental protections through the publication of the Retained EU Law Bill.
Such is the pressure, Defra has issued a reassuring statement branding the claims that they are going back on their commitments to the environment as “simply not right”. They go on to cover the work they are undertaking on both topics in more detail, which is worth reading here.
Farming and shooting
Regarding ELMS, Defra states it is looking “at how best to deliver the schemes to see where and how improvements can be made”.
The ELMS are still very much in their developmental stage, with the full roll-out not due until 2027. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine raising serious questions about food security, there is little surprise that this new government wants to review them.
BASC recently described them as “an open door for management practices undertaken for shooting and conservation” and that is still very much the case.
There is space for both farming and nature in the UK. Shooting can – and does – deliver for both. Examples include the control of pigeons over arable crops, the management of deer populations in newly planted woodlands, and game management practices such as habitat provision and supplementary feeding.
Whatever decisions are taken within the review, ELMS need to keep moving forward and continue to support shooting’s role in both food and nature.
Nature and shooting
The government has set an ambitious target of halting the loss of species abundance by 2030 in the Environment Act 2021, with several more targets consulted upon earlier this year to be laid before parliament this autumn. BASC is fully supportive of these principles and remains committed to playing our part in seeing them reached.
The Nature Recovery Green Paper launched earlier this year gave us ample opportunity to further deliver our views. It is the belief of BASC that the Green Paper offers opportunities for shooting which can subsequently aid the government’s objectives.
The government’s original announcement that they were reviewing the EU’s Habitats Directive back in 2021 was followed by an outcry from the conservation sector that they were watering down the legislation. BASC’s position is clear, we do not ask for any weakening of environmental protections, all that the shooting community require is a level playing field.
Too often shooting is treated disproportionately to other activities, with the precautionary principle rolled out all too regularly. If the statutory agencies were free from microregulating activities like shooting, which is not responsible for the declines in nature, there would be more time to deal with the real challenges faced as well as greater opportunity to undertake practical conservation with shooters and other willing stakeholders.
Whatever the eventual fall out, be assured BASC will continue to work on behalf of our members to ensure shooting is acknowledged and our future secure.
“A haunting echo of the past Highland Clearances”; Mike Montgomery reviews The Last Keeper, the feature-length documentary released earlier this year.
Gloucestershire firearms licensing procedures have taken a significant step forward following sustained pressure from BASC.
BASC is urging supporters of sustainable shooting to take immediate action in response to a Wild Justice petition calling for a ban on grouse shooting.
Sign up to our weekly newsletter and get all the latest updates straight to your inbox.
© 2024 British Association for Shooting and Conservation. Registered Office: Marford Mill, Rossett, Wrexham, LL12 0HL – Registered Society No: 28488R. BASC is a trading name of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under firm reference number 311937.
BASC Direct Ltd is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Agria Pet Insurance Ltd who administer the insurance and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, Financial Services Register Number 496160. Agria Pet Insurance is registered and incorporated in England and Wales with registered number 04258783. Registered office: First Floor, Blue Leanie, Walton Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP21 7QW. Agria insurance policies are underwritten by Agria Försäkring.
If you have any questions or complaints about your BASC membership insurance cover, please email us. More information about resolving complaints can be found on the FCA website or on the EU ODR platform.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.
Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!
More information about our Cookie Policy