NGO responds to the grouse debate

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The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) has issued the following statement in response to the debate on the e-petition to “Ban driven grouse shooting” which took place today (31 October) at Westminster Hall in London.

A spokesman for the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation said: “On behalf of our members throughout the uplands, we would like to thank sincerely all those many MPs who took the time and trouble to demolish the arguments of those who argued for a ban. Grouse shooting, quite literally, held the high ground in the debate, in both the weight of the evidence and the strength of the science that were put forward to support the practice of driven grouse shooting. It was a tour de force in the demonstration of a forensic dissection of a weak and ill-judged petition.

“It was clear throughout the debate that gamekeepers are the champions of the uplands, the ‘unsung heroes of conservation’, the drivers of economic, environmental and social wellbeing on the UK’s windswept moorlands. We hope, on behalf of our keeper members, that those MPs who had supported a ban took the opportunity to listen to and reflect on the collective good that gamekeepers and grouse bestow on the moors, which without the efforts of keepers would be sterile and lifeless, rather than the birdsong-filled wildlife oases their hard work sustains.

“The NGO would also like to thank the other shooting and countryside organisations with which we have worked in advance of the debate for their close co-operation and expert input in helping to prepare arguments and briefing MPs. ”

The purpose of today’s debate was solely to consider the issues surrounding driven red grouse shooting, and no more. It was not part of the Parliamentary law-making process.

The debate may be viewed in full on Parliament Live TV, by clicking here

The NGO, working on behalf of upland keepers in England and Wales, in advance of today’s Westminster Hall debate, helped put the facts in front of MPs in a variety of ways, including:

The detailed written evidence the NGO provided to inform the debate discussed the extent and development of grouse shooting, the red grouse and its management, and the crucial role both driven grouse shooting and gamekeepers play in safeguarding the economic and environmental health of the uplands. The NGO’s brief also pointed to the wider significance of driven grouse shooting for both local communities and the general public.

To read the NGO’s written evidence in full, please click here

Notes to Editors
The National Gamekeepers' Organisation represents upland and lowland gamekeepers in England and Wales. It defends and promotes gamekeeping, gamekeepers and ensures high standards throughout the profession. It was founded in 1997 by a group of gamekeepers who felt that their profession was threatened by public misunderstanding and poor representation. The NGO has around 15,000 members. Visit www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk

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