September 07 News
News - September 07Brown: guns 'completely unacceptable'
24.09.07 – Prime minister Gordon Brown has angered shooters by stating on national radio that guns are "completely unacceptable". His comment, on the BBC Radio 4 'Today' programme, was made in the context of crime - but its sweeping nature has led some shooters to ask whether Labour might be planning another attack on shooting sports.
Bluetongue 'won't affect shooting'
24.09.07 – The animal disease Bluetongue, which has been identified in a cow near Ipswich in Suffolk, will not lead to restrictions on shooting or deerstalking, according to shooting organisations.
Bluetongue is spread from one animal to another by midges. The BASC website states that "Human activity cannot spread the disease and it is anticipated that game shooting and pest control will not be affected." BASC press release here »
The NGO state that "Any restrictions imposed will relate only to the movement of live ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats and deer) out of the control zones around the outbreak. Carcass movements are not affected." NGO update here »
Foot & mouth won't go away
24.09.07 – A further suspected case of Foot & Mouth has led to a new temporary control zone near Petersfield in Hampshire. View the latest updates from DEFRA here »
Under current Foot & Mouth restrictions, shooting and stalking can continue largely as normal. For details of how the restrictions affect shoots, see BASC's guidance here »
Cheryl shows the men how to do it
17.09.07 – This weekend leading lady shot Cheryl Hall won both the Individual High Gun trophy at the Sporting Home International and the Mitsubishi World Series.
Cheryl shot a winning score of 86/100 at the Sporting Home International in Northern Ireland on Friday - the first time a lady has won the Individual High Gun trophy at the event.
The next day she flew to England to compete in the Midland Game Fair's Mitsubishi World Series.
After qualifying on Saturday afternoon, she went on to win the top prize of a Mitsubishi L200 4x4 on Sunday with a top score of 31/40.
Congratulations Cheryl!
Foot & Mouth is back
13.09.07 – Despite assurances that Foot & Mouth had been eradicated, the disease is back. The disease has been confirmed on a farm in Surrey, and restrictions are back in place - just as shooters were looking forward to the game season getting under way.
Defra has issued new guidelines on how this affects shooting and pest control - FMD homepage here »
Latest updates and comment from the Countryside Alliance here »
Advice to shooters from BASC here »
...and in Scotland
The Scottish government has issued a general licence allowing the movement of deer carcasses after the Scottish Gamekeepers Association pointed out the problems estates would face over the next month, with large numbers of stags due to be shot.
The SGA has also asked the government to reconsider the restriction on the size of deerstalking parties to 3 people, arguing that this is illogical when no restrictions apply to parties of hill walkers etc.
New Deal for CLA Game Fair Exhibitors
14.09.07 - The organisers of The CLA Game Fair have significantly improved the space rent refunds offer for exhibitors who were due to participate at the cancelled 2007 CLA Game Fair following a comprehensive reappraisal of the CLA’s financial situation, as well as meetings and discussions with "a cross section of exhibitors and groups". The organisers are now offering their exhibitors a choice of an immediate 50% refund of their 2007 stand fees or 40% now and 20% discount on comparable stand space booked for 2008.
Cops 'persecute' keepers
28.08.07 – Gamekeepers are complaining of 'persecution' by police, aided by Defra and the RSPB, after a series of heavy-handed police raids.
This summer "several NGO members were on the receiving end of unpleasant, unnecessary and ultimately unfair raids," writes Charles Nodder in the latest issue of the National Gamekeepers Organisation magazine, 'Keeping the Balance'.
"Few if any of these raids would have happened without provocation by the bird protectionists," he adds.
The latest (Autumn 2007) issue of 'Keeping The Balance' includes an NGO Advice Bulletin telling keepers what to do in the event of a police search.
See www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk
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