Chairman of Natural England speaks at the Game Fair
Friday, 27 July 2018 21:34
Andrew Sells, Chairman of Natural England, today welcomed efforts
by the shooting community to safeguard and conserve hundreds of
hectares of land for wildlife, when he spoke at the Game Fair. The
Chair of Natural England said despite this work “more needs to be
done to ensure there is a balance between shooting and
conservation.” He said:...Request free
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Andrew Sells, Chairman of Natural England, today welcomed
efforts by the shooting community to safeguard and conserve
hundreds of hectares of land for wildlife, when he spoke at
the Game Fair. The Chair of Natural England said despite
this work “more needs to be done to ensure there is a
balance between shooting and conservation.”
He said:
Sustainably-managed shoots are safeguarding wildlife
like curlews and lapwings, reducing flood risk and
storing carbon.
Natural England will sign a second agreement with the
British Association for Shooting and Conservation this
weekend placing sustainable land management at the
heart of BASC’s
mission and recognising that 70 per cent of land
managed by those affiliated to the shooting
organisation are Special Sites of Scientific Interest
(SSSI).
However, he sounded a note of caution arguing that not
all shoots are doing enough to protect the environment
from damage.
He said:
Too many shoots seem to have lost sight of the
balance between shooting and conservation and the
natural environment. Has the size of the day’s bag
become the dominant consideration? Are some shoots
damaging, rather than enhancing, our natural
environment? If so, I hope we can work together to
eliminate any such practices.
And the recent terrible wildfires near Manchester
have shown moorland managers and keepers bravely
joining forces with firefighters to limit
environmental damage. I applaud their tireless
efforts.
We are also seeing more estates coming into
partnership agreements with NE, voluntarily finding
ways to enhance environment. These deepening
relationships will be vital in joining up prime
wildlife sites and achieving goals of 25 Year
Environment Plan.
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