Delays in GL43 licences threaten gamekeeping jobs

BASC warns thousands of jobs are at risk over the delays of GL43 licences for shoots close to sites with protected birds. A shoot on Salisbury Plain, where BASC's chief executive Ian Bell shoots, which has been running for almost a century is one of hundreds waiting for a licence. Even the few shoots that have been granted licences are facing more issues as they can't release birds for several months. MP Greg Smith is calling on the government to sort out the chaos.

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Why shoot game birds?
Game is wild, natural and free range, and it is one of the healthiest meats available today. It is low in cholesterol and high in protein. Results from research commissioned by the Game-to-Eat campaign (Leatherhead Food International Research 2006) suggest that there are real health benefits to eating game. Both pheasant and partridge contain high levels of iron, protein, vitamin B(6) and selenium, which helps to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.
In addition to the nutritional benefits of game, game shooting is worth £2 billion annually to the UK rural economy and supports 74,000 jobs. There are 480,000 (UK government figures) active game shooters in the UK who enjoy bird shooting under the principles of the Code of Good Shooting Practice.
More than 2 million hectares are actively managed for shooting in the UK creating proven (PACEC, 2014) conservation benefits and preserving important habitats for a diverse range of flora and fauna, in particular farmland birds. UK shooting providers spend £5.4 million on cover crop seeds every year and maintain over 25,000ha of wild-bird cover.

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