End Driven Grouse Shooting

Throughout any national park, and indeed throughout Scotland, driven grouse shooting needs to be banned, along with all the damaging practices that go along with it, such as muirburn and wildlife persecution. Any national park should be managed for nature and for the people who live there. Rewilding can maintain rural jobs and economies through nature related jobs and tourism. More space for wildlife, less space for upper class playgrounds, and non-native tree farms.

Why the contribution is important

The climate and biodiversity emergencies need to be treated like the emergencies that they are. Radical actions are needed. Many of our fellow wildlife species are in a seemingly terminal decline, we can help them if we put in the effort.

by devans11111 on May 26, 2022 at 10:56AM

Current Rating

Average rating: 4.6
Based on: 19 votes

Comments

  • Posted by DT2978 May 31, 2022 at 09:46

    Driven grouse shooting has had decades to show it can adopt sustainable practices such as reducing the use of medicated grit, muirburn and creating tracks and roads through the hills, but they have not changed and are unlikely to. The management of driven grouse on hills across National Parks does not line up with what I think National Parks should be about. They are often drained and burnt, practices which will create carbon emissions from degrading peat and eroding soils. Land within National Parks should, on the whole, be showing reduced carbon emissions through peat restoration and rewetting of the hills, but driven grouse shooting will not allow this to happen.
  • Posted by NicBullivant May 31, 2022 at 10:47

    Not relevant to the designation of additional NPs
  • Posted by Prunusavium June 02, 2022 at 09:37

    Driven grouse shooting provides jobs in rural areas. These jobs include many competencies such as active peatland restoration, habitat management and predator control from which many red-listed species, such as the lapwing and curlew benefit during the nesting season. Medicated grit is provided when worm burdens for grouse are high. Red grouse are also a native species and on the NCAI. Moorland was at one time drained for better pasture for sheep, nothing to do with grouse. This is no longer the case and gamekeepers are involved in re-wetting moorland by blocking drains, reprofiling and re-seeding. Peat is not burned, the vegetation is, which promotes new shoots of heather. Many moorland species benefit from heather burning, it also mitigates wildfire by reducing fireload.
    Ashby & Heinemeyer, in their recent report, argue for an evidence based approach regarding prescribed burning ://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13157-021-01400-1
    To mitigate climate change and safeguard biodiversity loss, it is vital that rural practitioners and the jobs they hold are recognised for the vital contribution they make.
    National parks do not recognise rural workers or land managers, yet it is there contribution that has made Scotland and the Scottish Borders one of the most outstanding areas in the UK.
  • Posted by ihl June 04, 2022 at 00:13

    I would love to see an end to shooting wild birds and animals,als for fun, so would love to see an end to moorland being managed for grouse shooting. A Victorian era pastime that should end as soon as possible.

    This has nothing to do with National Parks though, as the park authorities do not have the powers to influence it. ScotGov needs to address the issue but so far has done precious little to tackle the wildlife persecution that takes place.
  • Posted by ShonaMcIntosh June 06, 2022 at 06:19

    I absolutely agree we should end driven grouse shooting. It’s an ecological disaster and has no place in any of Scotland’s land but especially not areas that are supposed to have been set aside for nature. I think that more powers to all NP authorities on doing this would be one of my top priorities for how to better manage national park areas.
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