‘Shooting’ is the public’s third favourite activity in National Parks

A Campaign for National Parks survey has served to highlight the public’s support of shooting as a recreational activity in National Parks

A Campaign for National Parks survey has served to highlight the public’s support of shooting as a recreational activity in National Parks, when it came in as the third favourite activity out of a list of 23 currently taking place within the Parks.

Earlier in the year, the Campaign launched a multiple choice survey to determine the public’s most and least favourite activities within the Parks; shooting came in third for those living and working in a National Park, and second for those living and working outside a National Park.

This result was incredible, especially when the fact that shooting was not listed in the multiple choice questionnaire is taken into account; those participating in the survey had to write in the pastime themselves.

Liam Stokes, head of shooting at the Countryside Alliance, said: “It is great that shooting is so popular within National Parks, both with residents and visitors, because we know that wherever game shooting is popular it brings jobs, investment, beautiful landscapes and conservation benefits. Shooting was second in popularity to ‘walking’ among visitors, and third to ‘walking’ and ‘observing wildlife’ among residents. Of course, well-managed shooting in the uplands and lowlands increases the amount of wildlife to be seen, so shooting is supporting the favourite activities of those who shoot and those who don’t.

“We should also be delighted with the responses to the question ‘what should be prevented in National Parks?’ Shooting could be selected from a list of 14 options, and came 12th. This shows that the non-shooting public have no interest in attempts to see shooting curtailed. Elsewhere in the survey, people recorded the beautiful views as one of their favourite features of National Parks, which is unsurprising given the breathtaking upland landscapes shooting supports in so many of our rural beauty spots. No wonder people don’t want to ban it.”