Wednesday 9 August 2023

‘Grouse shooting has environmental benefits’

The sport of driven grouse shooting is a "sustainable practice", according to a new report.

Simon Denny, former university professor at the University of Northampton suggests grouse moor management benefits the UK, positively affecting agriculture, tourism, human and animal health and carbon sequestration and flood control.

The report looks at the sustainability of grouse shooting and the various alternative uses of moorland.

Professor Denny said: "Any attempt to change that risks leaving the UK at a significantly further depleted level of biodiversity. Any attempt to change that risks leaving the UK at a significantly further depleted level of biodiversity."

The review was peer reviewed by academics from four UK universities.

Professor James Crabbe of the University of Oxford added: “This report makes clear that integrated moorland management is a really complex issue with so many strands. If you take one piece of the jigsaw away, such as driven grouse shooting, there will be massive implications environmentally, socially and economically.”