In response to a lead shot report produced today by some of those opposed to all forms of shooting Defra has said “this government supports shooting that is sustainable and conducted in full accordance with the law”. That must have hurt.
It comes only six weeks after it said “The Government has no plans to ban driven grouse shooting. It recognises well-managed grouse shooting can be an important part of a local rural economy, providing direct and indirect employment”.
The Moorland Association notes that the report is all about pheasants but that has not stopped the Guardian covering this in its online edition with a picture of a lovely grouse moor.
It also caught are attention that the reports lead author, Rhys Green, approached the Moorland Association for comment because he wanted to accurately reflect our views. This was our statement:
Grouse moors have been at the forefront of the transition away from lead shotgun ammunition. To that end, we salute the manufacturers for continuing to develop suitable alternatives. They are reporting that, with conflict continuing in Eastern Europe, sourcing the required components continues to be challenging. However, those grouse moors that have been using lead free ammunition for several years have been able to run annual trials of some of these alternatives. As with other industries that have moved away from using lead, the voluntary transition has allowed shoots, manufacturers and food processors make the required preparations. Should the government accept the recent Health and Safety Executive (HSE) proposal, that the use of lead shotgun ammunition should be phased out over five years, the upland community will be ready.
You won’t find any mention of these points in the report. We don’t know why issues about ammunition availability were overlooked. Perhaps it was just too inconvenient to admit that game shoots can’t switch to something that is not available.
We also explained that the lead-free register was started to help buyers find shoots that were shooting lead-free game. It turns out that buyers are not yet that interested in buying lead-free game, so game shoots have no reason to register. We pointed out that using the lead-free register as a proxy for what is happening, let alone what will happen, is daft. Rhys Green did respond by saying “I agree with you about the apparent lack of interest currently in the market in lead-free game”.
So, there you have it. A group of non-human health experts busy giving advice to the government on human health, whilst also criticising the sporting community for not simultaneously controlling the UK food market and resolving the conflict in Eastern Europe, to address ammunition supply issues. Brilliant.