Infographic shows how shooting ban will destroy heather moorland
The damage that a grouse shooting ban would inflict on the countryside is highlighted in an infographic produced by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation.
The infographic contrasts the social, economic and environmental benefits of well-managed moorland with the unintended consequences of a shooting ban. These include a loss of jobs, lack of investment and lost tourist income. The environmental consequences include destruction of globally endangered heather moorland and the many species it supports including fragile populations of curlew, golden plover and lapwing.
Without management for shooting the purple swathes of heather and wide empty spaces that make our uplands so attractive to ramblers and nature lovers could disappear under blanket forestry and bracken.
The infographic is being launched at the Standing Conference on Countryside Sports today (12th November) where BASC’s Kate Ives will be making a presentation on the value of sporting shooting in the uplands. Kate said; “ Few people realise just how far-reaching the effects of a shooting ban would be. The unintended consequences would not only be disastrous for the people and wildlife in the area but would diminish a cherished national resource.”
Mike Sherman, the BASC vice-chairman, said: “Globally heather moorland is more endangered than rain forest and the huge input of resources from shooting provides a positive input in maintaining a level of protection from encroachment and overgrazing".
The infographic can be downloaded from the BASC website at http://basc.org.uk/infographics
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