ANOTHER IMPORTANT POST FROM WILD JUSTICE — CONSULTATION ON SHOOTING BEAUTIFUL BIRDS

Good morning, Today’s newsletter asks you to set aside some time to respond to an important consultation. Last week Defra launched a public consultation on the shooting seasons for several bird species covered under Schedule 2.1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Birds on this list can be legally killed or ‘taken’ during specific times of year. The proposed changes include the shortening of the shooting season for Woodcock, across Scotland, England and Wales, which is a change we’ve been asking for, for a while. The proposals, affecting other species like Goldeneye, Pintail and Woodpigeon, are quite nuanced and technical, often with different changes proposed in different countries of the UK. A consultation covering such a broad subject will inevitably take some time to fill out – so we’ve tried to make that easier for you. Read on below, or click to read our blog here, for some guidance on responding, question by question. See our guidance What does the consultation cover? The consultation asks participants for their views on a number of proposed changes to the shooting seasons of nine species of birds, these being: White Fronted Goose Goldeneye Pintail Pochard Common Snipe Woodcock Woodpigeon Coot Golden Plover The proposals from Defra differ for each species, for different reasons. The fate of different birds varies across the UK, between countries, where they are affected by different pressures, threats and shooting practices. For this consultation, the governments of England, Scotland and Wales agreed to work together on their proposals (all of which fall under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981). The consultation doesn’t cover shooting seasons in Northern Ireland (where the legislation is separate). As a result, it is being proposed to take some species off the schedule entirely, for others to have their open (shooting) seasons shortened, and some have a combination of these, which differ from country to country. One species is proposed to be added to the schedule (Woodpigeon), and in a couple of instances, there is no proposed change. As we said, this is detailed, and nuanced, and so we’ve summarised the proposed changes in the table below: What do we think about it? As you might expect, our thoughts on each of the proposals discussed in this consultation are equally nuanced. Overall, we would say that these changes are a positive step in the right direction, even when we feel that those steps could be bigger, bolder strides. In the example with Woodcock – we would obviously prefer this beautiful bird wasn’t shot at all, but a shortening of the season is a simple and effective measure that will undoubtedly help the conservation of the UK’s breeding population. We agree that the majority of the changes proposed by Defra will help reduce harm and pressure to already vulnerable populations for many of the nine species – and we will be pointing out instances where that pressure could be reduced even further. We also think there’s opportunity for the scope of this consultation to widen further, encompassing species not yet mentioned, including Ptarmigan, Black Grouse and Grey Partridge (in Scotland) and also Moorhens. We will be submitting our own response to the consultation, as an organisation, emphasising these points. It’s important we do this, and would encourage you to do the same, not least because some of the pro-shooting organisations are strongly opposed to the changes, suggesting instead that shooters could simply follow a voluntary code of practice for sustainable shooting. This is laughable, given the shooting industry’s repeated failure to demonstrate compliance with both the law and with voluntary codes of practice. We’ve also noticed that BASC is recommending that at least an additional 18 species are added to Schedule 2.1 (apparently shooting at 60+ million Pheasants and Red-legged Partridges every year isn’t enough), including birds like Ravens, Jack Snipe, Jays and Cormorants. What do you think about it? Responding to the consultation: We recognise that Government consultations can feel daunting. And this consultation is no different; it covers a wide array of species, each with their own ecology, distribution and conservation history. It therefore follows that there is quite a lot to say when forming a consultation response. We’ve poured over Defra’s proposals in detail and have summarised our thoughts for each change in our guidance notes, which we hope will help you formulate your own response to the consultation. This will take some time, but we believe it will be time well spent. This is your chance to have real input into the future of some of our most vulnerable species and reduce the impact of the shooting industry on wild birds. What we are asking you to do: Read our guidance - click here - then respond to the consultation - click here - before the deadline of 17th May. We will be submitting our own organisational response covering each of the proposed changes in detail, but individual responses from members of the public carry real weight alongside organisational ones. This consultation exists, in part, because of your support for Woodcock. This is a case of public pressure working. But a consultation is only as good as the responses it receives; if the voices in favour of stronger protections are few, those against will carry more weight. The change we have been pushing for is within reach. Please do take the time to respond. Thank you, Wild Justice (CEO: Bob Elliot. Directors: Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay). This is the 266th Wild Justice newsletter. 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