BBC complicit in publicising game shooting propaganda

Public and Corporate Economic Consultants (PACEC) have undertaken work for the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), and the Countryside Alliance (CA) into the impact of "sporting" shooting to the UK economy and the wider benefits of the "industry." (For the economic nephyte that is the "shooting industry")

Sarah Mukherjee, described as the BBC environment correspondent has, it is claimed, had "unauthorised sight " (i.e a leakage has ocurred) of this work which claims that ;

1. More than 480,000 people participate (principally males 40 +) in "live quarry" shooting - i.e they kill wild and semi domesticated animals for entertainment.

2. The "shooting industry" contributes more £1.5bn to the economy, and provides the equivalent of 70,000 (presumably full time) jobs.

3. Paradoxically The shooting industry which releases 34 million tame birds into the countryside, for slaughter every "season", plays a vital role in conservation.

To support this they claim £250m a year is spent on habitat and wildlife management; four times the annual income of the RSPB, without mentioning that "set aside" land which attracts subsidy is also used for hand rearing of "live quarry".


The report, stating the bleeding obvious, as such reports will, points out that people who shoot at tragets and "clay" pigeons, aas well as those who prefer live animals to shoot at, spend money on clothes, hotels, petrol for their obligatory (and thirsty) Range Rovers thereby enriching countryside communities.

The League Against Cruel Sports point to several cases where gamekeepers have allegedly poisoned birds of prey to prevent them attacking game birds.

It says reducing the numbers of predators on game birds amounts to an undeclared war on wildlife, waged to maximise profits.

Douglas Batchelor, Chief Executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, said to the BBC Farming programme today : "This (wildlife) is a national asset - by what right do people start harvesting this for profit?"

"We also have a concern about the aspects of cruelty involved in this activity, and we feel there should be a debate about whether this should be going on in the countryside."

Chief Neanderthal of the Countryside Alliance, Simon Hart, (happy it appears to discuss their "leaked" report) said on the same programme: "This is an industry that employs more people than the steel industry..... the benefits of shooting are really quite breathtaking."

You can read in the Field for February 2006 his views on the need to "educate" the public but demonstrates a rare degree of candour..""Are you willing" he says to readers," to drop the word "sport" from your vocabulary ? "Game" and "sport" portray aspects of shooting that are most unacceptable. We promote a negative image by using them"

"...only by sending a strong, unified message will we persuade the majority of our case"

This report is their first (of many to come) attempt to present that case - which the BBC , as ever, have obligingly "leaked" for their PR people .... to the early morning "Farming Today" which is their natural constituency -- and no doubt, will receive further airing throughout the day.

Go to Animal Aid and watch their video Fowl Play about game farming , "where factory farming meets the shooting gallery".

You can also sign their petition..

"We Believe that the rearing of pheasants to serve as feathered targets is peversely cruel, and call for an immediate ban on the mass production of birds for 'sport shooting'"

Alternatively you could go to Roxtons who will fix you up with some fine "sport"... their site tells you of "The Reds,( The alien French Red Legged Partridge) however, have proved far more adaptable and frankly provide better and more consistent sport."

The Duke of Edinburgh patron of the World Wild Life Fund is especially fond of shooting these birds on the Sandringham Estates.On 19 November 2000, the 74 year old monarch was photographed wringing the neck of a bird on the Royal Sandringham Estates and reported by Reuters, the "Sunday Mirror", and the "Sunday People" ...whilst her husabnd's shooting party happily blasted away at the semi domesticated and frightened fowl .. for fun.

Read on, there is more of this gaming pornography..."To see a Cock Pheasant climb noisily over the guns on a frosty morning is redolent of all the things that Britain can stand for, tradition, reliability and the best of sport."

"Our available bag sizes" says Roxtons warming to their point about their pheasant and partridge shoots," .... range from 100 birds upwards to somewhere in the region of 500 birds - per day for a line of 8 guns.