Shooting has been thrown into turmoil by the outbreak of FMD. Stalkers must operate under strict restrictions, if at all. Pest shooters are finding they're not welcome on farms terrified of what might happen next.
And now it looks like Defra themselves are the source of the outbreak!
We'll be covering this story in detail as it unfolds - and we need your help. How is your shooting affected? What do you think about the way the outbreak is being managed? Are the shooting organisations doing enough?
Post a comment below, or send me an email at james@sportingshooter.co.uk
“Deranged” – PETA • “Super-posh” – The Mirror • "His own worst enemy" – D Barnes Esq • "Barbaric" – Liverpool City Council
5 comments:
Movement restrictions have been lifted for farm animals as of today. However, as I understand it, this doesn't change the situation for stalking - deer carcasses still cannot be moved on the public highway, or off the estate where they are shot. More info on Scotland at the DCS site, on England & Wales at the BDS website. - James
For updates and insight into the outbreak, and the political shenanigans going on behind the scenes, I recommend warmwell.com, a website set up during the '01 outbreak. - James
Not another! Today there's news of another suspected case, on a farm well to the east of the current protection zones. This one is near Dorking.
Every time you start to think it might be over, there's another case. It feels horribly like last time. -James
I see that they're declaring an 8km AIR exclusion zone around each new suspected case. Is there any scientific basis for this, or is it just to avoid any embarrassing news footage appearing on TV? -James
Well thank goodness tests proved negative for the Wootton farm. My parents are off to the flower show nearby today, and there was talk it might be cancelled, but now it's back on.
Mark Elliott (the homeopathic vet, not the NOBS founder) emailed today to point out an error on the BASC website, which suggests you can shoot deer in the 3km zone, but not outside it. Not so! As he says, the BDS website has a very clear and accurate explanation about the regulations affecting stalking. -James
Post a Comment