Natural Resources Wales congratulated for banning shooting on public land

Natural Resources Wales (Welsh: Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru) is a Welsh Government sponsored body that manages the natural resources of Wales. It aims to pursue sustainable management of these natural resources. There has been a joint three year long campaign by  Animal Aid and the League Against Cruel Sports against National Resources Wales (NRW) leasing public land for shooting. They presented a 12,700 signature petition calling for an end to the practice.

They point out that large numbers of non-indigenous pheasants are factory farmed and released to be killed by shooting parties. Native predators, such as  foxes, rodents, stoats, weasels, crows and magpies, are also killed to preserve large numbers of ‘game’ birds for shooting as a sport. This in turn results in an overall decrease in biodiversity, including through displacing wild birds, upsetting the delicate ecology and threatening rare butterfly species. They also say that on shoot days, many birds are not killed instantly and hit the ground suffering from painful wounds and injuries. Some are never found and die in agony, others are killed by having their necks broken or being hit over the head with a beater’s stick.

The Welsh Government had also expressed the view that they were against the shooting on public land and in July a letter was sent to NRW by the Welsh Environment Minister pointing this out. This week, following a review of the practice, Natural Resources Wales has announced it will ban pheasant shooting on Welsh public land. The ban will be enforced when the current set of leases expire in February. Animal rights organisation praised the decision

Bethan Collins, Senior Public Officer (Wales) at the League Against Cruel Sports gave the following statement: 

"Natural Resources Wales is to be commended in the strongest terms for ensuring pheasant shooting in the Welsh national forest is being brought to an end. This outcome reflects strong opposition to the practice from the Welsh Government, over 75% of the public who oppose shooting birds for sport and an urgent need to reverse damage to wildlife and the environment on the public estate.

“We thank those who have relentlessly pursued an end to pheasant shooting in the Welsh national forest, including Environment Minister Hannah Blythyn AM and the public who have backed us. This is as much a victory for them as it is for the wildlife which has now been spared the gun.”

Fiona Pereira, Campaigns Manager at Animal Aid, said:

“We are delighted that NRW has banned the cruel shooting of pheasants on public land. The campaign has shown that the vast majority of people strongly oppose the killing of animals for “sport” and want to see an end to it.

“NRW can now use that land for positive activities that are kind to animals and to the environment, and, importantly, set an example for other public bodies that also want to bring about an end to the shooting of birds.

“We’d like to thank all the animal lovers who helped the campaign – and secured a victory for game birds.”