A huge number of game birds shot in the country are imported from factory farms in Europe. Experts said this practice must be stopped or reduced because it risks spreading disease and has worrying implications for native nature and biodiversity. Just under 50 million pheasants are typically released each year from mainland farms. A recent study showed that at their peak in August each year, non-native pheasants and red partridges make up around half of Britain’s wild bird biomass. The annual shooting season begins on October 1st. Jeff Knott, director of central and eastern England at the RSPB, said: “The most important thing from our perspective is that the bird flu situation highlights the dangers of introducing and releasing millions of birds into the British countryside with very little supervision. It’s a very, very unregulated industry and it’s something that needs to be looked at very carefully.” He asked for more setup for the shots. “There are inherent risks in bringing in so many birds and releasing them into the wild. There is a need to consider greater regulation of the industry to make sure we are not putting native wildlife at risk. The estates don’t have to report how many they bring in, release, how many they shoot.” Mark Avery, who co-organises the nature campaign group Wild Justice, said: “This is a wake-up call about shootings. The introduction of tens of millions of non-native pheasants is hardly traditional or sustainable. The environment will benefit – all these birds of prey are harming our native species. Pheasants devour snakes and lizards and destroy vegetation. Fewer birds are a respite for native wildlife.” Shooting ranges are implementing measures, including more breeding of game birds on site, to make the industry more resilient to import bans. Glynn Evans, head of game and gundogs at the British Shooting and Conservation Association (BASC), said: “For many reasons including the climate, parts of France are ideal places for game farming and the production of pheasant and partridge eggs. However, an outbreak of bird flu in prime game breeding areas at a critical time for such production led to restrictions on movement. The resulting impact on game shooting in the UK this year will be nothing short of significant. “That level of disruption will vary between different shots. For example, those who hatch and breed their own birds at home will be largely unaffected, while others may be going ahead with limited plans and we’ve heard of shoots making the tough decision not to go ahead this year.” He said the reduction in shootings would hurt the rural economy, including hotels, pubs and restaurants near shooting ranges. “This is not the first challenge we have faced and it will not be the last. As avian flu becomes more widespread, plants will be looking at their supply chains and how to future-proof them,” Evans added. This year’s outbreak of bird flu was the largest and largest ever experienced in the UK and many parts of Europe. The disease is not only infecting farmed birds, but is also sweeping through vulnerable and endangered bird populations, which worries conservationists. The disease, highly contagious in birds, started on commercial goose farms in Asia in 1996, spreading to poultry farms and then to wild birds.
