BASC call to action on quarry species review
BASC is encouraging members and the wider shooting community to respond to a government consultation on proposed changes to quarry species and seasons in England, Wales and Scotland.
- - Features
- - Features
FACE challenges quarry species restriction proposals
The European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE) has responded to the government’s bird quarry species consultation, supporting BASC’s position.
FACE president Laurens Hoedemaker has written an open letter to Emma Reynolds, Secretary of State for Defra, which explains that removing species from the bird quarry list without properly considering flyway-level evidence risks undermining both conservation credibility and the practical conservation work delivered by the shooting community.
A consultation that closes on Sunday 17 May seeks the removal or reduction of the shooting seasons for pochard, European white-fronted goose, goldeneye, pintail, common snipe, woodcock, coot and golden plover.
Since March, BASC has been encouraging members to respond to the consultation, rejecting the restriction proposals, and supporting species additions.
FACE, representing 37 national hunting associations and over 7 million shooters across Europe, has two recommendations for the government to consider:
- For migratory birds, decisions on hunting sustainability must be based primarily on flyway-level wintering trends, not national trends alone. Without this approach, decision-making cannot be scientifically robust.
- Hunters are often best placed to manage their own activity responsibly. BASC consistently demonstrates this through the promotion and implementation of its Code of Good Shooting Practice. Constructive dialogue between hunters and decision-makers should be strengthened to deliver balanced outcomes, rather than imposing disproportionate restrictions with far-reaching consequences.
The FACE letter concludes by strongly urging the UK Government to ensure that any changes to the list of huntable species are based on full flyway-level scientific evidence, coordinated international obligations, and recognition of the positive role that sustainable hunting plays in conservation.
Please act now
If you have not already done so, please respond to the consultation today by emailing wildlifemanagementandcrime@defra.gov.uk and stating:
“Please drop all the restriction proposals and instead endorse BASC’s sustainable shooting code of practice.”
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Conor OGorman
Conor O’Gorman has worked in a variety of conservation, policy and campaigning roles at BASC over the last 20 years.
A zoology graduate with a PhD awarded for grey partridge research, he has over 25 years’ experience in conservation and land management.