The BBC Radio 4 programme (20 minutes in), More or Less, was asked by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall about Pheasant numbers in the UK. Pat Thompson of the RSPB gave the figure, the most up-to-date figure available, of 47 million captive-bred Pheasants released into the countryside each year (but maybe not this year).
And it is because DEFRA does not properly assess the ecological impact of these vast numbers of non-native birds that Wild Justice is taking legal action against DEFRA to force proper assessment (and proper assessment may force more regulation).
It seems as though broadcasters are beginning to realise that there are issues over the unregulated nature of much game management in the UK, the ecological damage and the wildlife crime which accompanies these field sports (see Channel 4 News last week and Countryfile last Sunday).
Maybe Hugh F-W could have a word with all those chefs jumping on a bandwagon to nowhere and writing books on game cookery and ask them to do more to ensure the ecological damage is reduced. Demanding lead-free game, shot with non-toxic ammunition, would be a very easy start. Why do so many chefs promote food with high levels of lead in it – lead is a poison (here’s another recent example of these issues emerging into the media at last – Debbie Pain on The Life Scientific).
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I’d suggest there should be a tax of £5 per released bird – that would get NE’s funding back up to a sensible level & get game managers thinking about the environment they are working in rather than just dumping millions of birds for a few months every year.
Interesting idea, but would that make each pheasant/partridge so much more economically valuable that losing any to natural predators could lead to even more control – legally and illegally?
A friend in N Lancashire area tells me they just bury the dead birds after a shoot. They have no value save to the pullers of the triggers. Bloodlust over natural balance.
Not to be pedantic, but natural balance = zero pheasants. They’re not a natural part of our ecosystem at all. Its closest natural range is shared with tigers. (or was – the tigers may be gone now).
Indeed the nearest truly wild pheasants are in the southern Caucasus and around the Caspian Sea and yes the Caspian Tiger is believed extinct.
I have on occasion discussed with a colleague whether one can actually “tick” Pheasant anywhere in the UK as it is not clear whether the bird you so tick has been released ( not tickable) or is the product of a wild breeding population that is self sustaining ( tickable). Of course the same is true of Red legged Partridges too.
Now that we are about to soon leave the EU can we not charge a huge import duty on pheasant eggs, chicks and poults imported from France.
Not so sure about making them highly taxable on release that may encourage wildlife crime against potential predators and the criminals involved hardly need further encouragement.
Personally I’d ban all release of non-native gamebirds. ( that’ll get the serial dislike clicking)
If the numbers released in the 70s were around 4 million and now they’re 45 million (give or take) . Then either shooters shoot a lot more pheasants each or there’s a lot more shooters (even accounting for them being better shots in the 70s)
This surely means that the shooting fraternity is good at selling the concept of shooting animals for fun which is surprising in itself.
More or Less is an unfailingly brilliant programme and I recommend that you listen to the whole thing rather than fast-forwarding to Pat. Pat does a great job of answering HFW’s question in a matter-of-fact way and even manages to make the link to raptor persecution.