Last Sunday’s Countryfile featured game shooting on the programme. A new study claims that the sport generates thousands of jobs and two billion pounds for Britain’s economy as well as being beneficial for wildlife.
Tom Heap spoke to Richard Ali from the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), who believes that shooting deserves more recognition in Britain as part of country life, particularly its role conserving wildlife, pointing out set aside areas on farmland providing food and cover for game animals and other wildlife.
He also heard from the RSPB’s Andre Farrar, who said that the sport’s environmental credentials are not as strong as claimed, and that the management of shooting sites, particularly grouse moors, can damage biodiversity and encourage the illegal killing of birds of prey.
What do you think – overall, does the shooting industry do more good than harm to Britain's wildlife?