Quotes criticising grouse shooting
Amongst those speaking out against grouse shooting are conservationists, concerned about the illegal persecution of birds of prey; environmentalists, distraught over the burning and draining of the precious peat bogs in upland areas; and animal activists, horrified at the use of grouse as live targets and the snaring and trapping of huge numbers of wild animals.
Quotes from those who live in and around Hebden Bridge
Ros Bane: ‘I love that landscape up there. And I’ve seen it change. I’ve seen it degrade. I’ve seen the soul taken out of it and it breaks your heart.’
Martin Jones: ‘Trauma is the only way I can describe it. It was horrendous. We were under four or five feet of water within hours. It isn’t just the grouse shooting – as revolting as it is. It’s people’s businesses and their lives and their houses. We were lucky – we just lost our shop. People lost their houses.’
Jenny Shepherd: ‘They have to burn the blanket bog to create the habitat that the grouse need. It’s all heather and it destroys the sphagnum. You go up there and the peat’s bare – there are hardly any sphagnum – you’re really lucky if you find little tiny patches of sphagnum. There’s loads of drainage ditches and it’s supposed to be a bog. It’s just heartbreaking.’
Other notable people who have spoken out against grouse shooting include:
Mark Avery, Author of ‘Inglorious’:
‘We are robbed of Hen Harriers because of wildlife crime on grouse moors – just another reason to ban this unkind, unsustainable and unnecessary so-called sport’.’
Eduardo Gonçalves, Chief Executive Officer, League Against Cruel Sports:
“Steeped in cruelty, driven grouse shooting is not only responsible for the massacre of thousands of native birds, but also the persecution and slaughter of wildlife and birds of prey perceived to threaten valuable game bird stocks. Climate change, the increased risk of flooding – the casualties of this industry are countless and it is high time this so called ‘glorious sport’ was banned for all our sakes.”
George Monbiot, Environmental and Social Justice writer at the Guardian:
‘Though grouse moors stretch the definition of agricultural land to breaking point, they remain eligible for public money in the form of farm subsidies. In 2014 as essential public services were hacked back, the government quietly increased the money to which they are entitled by 84%. Maximising the number of grouse means treating the moors as if they were giant chicken runs, draining the land, eradicating predators and competitors and burning the heather to stimulate the young shoots on which grouse feed. If the proles downstream are flooded out of their homes, really, who cares?’
(https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/29/deluge-farmers-flood-grouse-moor-drain-land)
Bill Oddie OBE, TV presenter, musician and nature enthusiast:
‘Game bird shooting may indeed be a money-making and money-spending business for an elite and largely wealthy group, but to most people it is simply abhorrent, cruel and symbolises a lifestyle that has no place in a civilised and caring society.’
Chris Packham. TV presenter and naturalist:
‘I’m sick of the continued illegal persecution of birds of prey and driven grouse moors are a proven and significant contributor to this. We’ve tried negotiation, partnership and dialogue but the killing goes on. So let’s just end it and restore the ecology of this landscape.
Raptor Persecution UK
‘Driven grouse shooting relies on the illegal persecution of birds of prey. Golden eagles, red kites, peregrines, hen harriers, white-tailed eagles, goshawks and buzzards are all targeted and unlawfully killed, just to increase the number of red grouse available to be shot for fun. Raptors are poisoned, shot or trapped by gamekeepers and their nests are burned out and their chicks are stamped on and crushed. These sporting estates are out of control. The barbaric driven grouse shooting industry needs to be closed down with immediate effect.’