The wonders of wildfowling

As the wildfowling season gets underway, so too does the opportunity to demonstrate shooting’s sustainability credentials and to encourage others to adopt a new code to ensure the pastime’s lasting legacy.

When you first head out after the start of the forthcoming wildfowling season, I’d encourage you to do something. Just pause. And take it all in. Look around you at the ever-changing beauty of the foreshore, wetland, or pond and the unique wonders that reside within them. Think about how fortunate we are to be able to witness something so special and consider what you can do to ensure that the generations that follow have the same opportunity.

The importance of self-regulation in promoting the future of shooting cannot be underestimated. We have to be seen to be doing this by those that matter – our peers, policy and decision makers and the generations that will come after us. We have to put our money where our mouth is, and a new code will help us do just that.

The new Sustainable Shooting Code of Practice for Wildfowl Quarry Species is a significant step towards ensuring that shooting in the UK remains sustainable.

A huge amount of work has been put into the new code and we are urging people to take a look at it, familiarise themselves with it and adopt it to ensure that what we do continues for generations to come.

By advocating for evidence-based recommendations and promoting self-regulation, BASC can help the shooting community cement its position as the key player in the conservation of our countryside.

Our proactive approach, commitment to clear communication, and emphasis on responsible practices provides a blueprint for sustainable shooting that balances the needs of wildlife, the environment, and our ongoing ability to take a harvest and put delicious and nutritious food on the dinner table.

As we move forward, the shooting community’s collective efforts will be essential to demonstrate that self-regulation is an effective tool capable of managing sustainable shooting. We aim to avoid unnecessary legislative changes and continue to highlight the fact that shooting and conservation go hand-in-hand. 

Our sector provides the equivalent of 26,000 conservation jobs. Those involved carry out this work, most of it voluntary, for 14 million workdays a year across the British countryside, worth £500m per annum.

So it’s important we stand proud of our historic achievements and continue to highlight our collective knowledge, not just of the wildfowl themselves but the management of their habitats. Ultimately this will reinforce our role as responsible stewards of the natural world.