SCIENTIFIC ADVISER In support of shooting on Welsh public land
Well-being of Future Generations Act Among the requirements of this Act 1 are the expectations that public bodies need to account for the following things when acting: 2(a) the importance of balancing short term needs with the need to safeguard the ability to meet long term needs, especially where things done to meet short term needs may have detrimental long term effect; 2(e) how deploying resources to prevent problems occurring or getting worse may contribute to meeting the body s well-being objectives, or another body s objectives. The Act also establishes a number of well-being goals which public bodies should aim to achieve. These are laid out below. A prosperous Wales An innovative, productive and low carbon society which recognises the limits of the global environment and therefore uses resources efficiently and proportionately (including acting on climate change); and which develops a skilled and well-educated population in an economy which generates wealth and provides employment opportunities, allowing people to take advantage of the wealth generated through securing decent work. Shooting in Wales provides almost 2,500 full time jobs. Shooting in Wales supports almost 2,500 full time jobs throughout the supply chain (PACEC, 2014). This equates to 64m per year spent in Wales by shoot providers and participants annually. However, this does not include the wages of permanent and casual staff. Shooting supports jobs up and down the supply chain. Shooting in Wales has been estimated to provide Gross Value Added of 75 million to the UK economy (PACEC, 2014). Shooting supports tourism. Shooting can be a very important source of income outside of traditional tourism periods. For example, game shooting in Exmoor was found to bring in 22 million in 2004, compared with a total tourism spend of 70 million. Similarly, on Exmoor alone, shooting is responsible for 1,600 jobs, despite being one of the most sparsely populated areas of England (PACEC, 2012). A resilient Wales A nation which maintains and enhances a biodiverse natural environment with healthy functioning ecosystems that support social, economic and ecological resilience and the capacity to adapt to change (for example climate change) Shooting provides a large conservation volunteer workforce for free. Those involved in shooting provide voluntary conservation labour equivalent to 490 full time jobs (PACEC, 2014). Shooting is a traditional part of the management of the Welsh landscape. Shooting in Wales is responsible for the management of almost 400,000ha (PACEC, 2014) which is equivalent to 20% of Wales land area. Shooting protects food security. Foxes cause 9.4m of damage to sheep farmers in the UK (Harris & Yalden, 2008), and rabbits cause 115m worth of damage to cereals and grass leys (Petrovan & Barrio, 2011). Shooters control these species for free, reducing costs for sheep, dairy and cereal farmers across Wales. Shooting provides food and habitat for threatened birds. Food hoppers and feeding rides are used by shoots to encourage pheasants and partridges to use 1 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/anaw/2015/2/contents/enacted Page 2 of 5
specific areas. UK shoot providers spend 25m per year on grain, which equates to over 200,000 tonnes of feed. Typically only around a quarter of this food is eaten by gamebirds (Sánchez-García, Buner, & Aebischer, 2015) with songbirds consuming a significant proportion. This can increase overwinter survival for some species (Siriwardena, Calbrade, & Vickery, 2008), and this is likely to improve breeding success (Stoate & Szczur, 2001). This could be especially important for species such as yellowhammer, linnet and corn bunting which are known to use hoppers (Brickle, 1997) Shooting helps to safeguard habitat for species threatened by climate change. Conservation work carried out by shooters includes planting and maintaining woodlands and creating and managing wetlands; vital habitats to protect against the impacts on species of climate change (Burns et al., 2016). A healthier Wales A society in which people s physical and mental well-being is maximised and in which choices and behaviours that benefit future health are understood. Shooting promotes personal wellbeing. 95% of shooting participants report that shooting is important to their personal wellbeing and 71% would do less physical activity if they couldn t shoot. Shooting promotes physical activity. Across the UK, 88% of participants reported shooting gives them moderate to high intensity exercise and 92% of shooting participants would spend less time on outdoor recreation if their involvement in shooting stopped. Shooting saves lives. Estimates from data in England suggest that the physical activity involved in shooting helps to prevent 106 deaths a year and 10,000 cases of life limiting disease. Shooting promotes mental health. Shooters report an average of 20 friends made through shooting activities, and 77% said their social lives would suffer without shooting. Furthermore, the participation in outdoor recreation has been shown to lead to a significant decrease in mental health issues (Mind, 2013). A more equal Wales A society that enables people to fulfil their potential no matter what their background or circumstances (including their socio economic background and circumstances). Shooting is inclusive. There is no urban/rural divide and a great leveller for men and women, who can compete on an equal basis Shooting is a versatile activity. It can be moulded to fit people s needs and circumstances. Shooting is accessible. The Disabled Shooting Project say: Target shooting is the most accessible, inclusive and integrated of all mainstream sports. 2 A Wales of cohesive communities Attractive, viable, safe and well-connected communities. Shooting in Wales provides economic support for local communities. This has far reaching consequences beyond the boundaries of the shot-over land, supporting local businesses such as caterers and providers of accommodation. For example, 2 http://disabledshooting.org.uk/ Page 3 of 5
shoots throughout the UK spend approximately 14 million maintaining and running shoot vehicles, often at small, rural garages (PACEC, 2014). Shooting supports the wellbeing of local communities. 87% of participants say shooting contributes to the wellbeing of their local community (PACEC, 2014). A globally responsible Wales A nation which, when doing anything to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales, takes account of whether doing such a thing may make a positive contribution to global well-being. Shooting in Wales attracts international tourism. Shooting in Wales has a rich history and is renowned worldwide for the quality of the shooting and the welcoming nature of the local communities. This attracts shooters from all over the world. Shooters donate to charity. Shoot providers across the UK recorded 3.5m of charitable donations in 2012/13 Shoot providers provide training. Around a third of shooting providers offer formal training with a much greater percentage offering informal on-the-job training and apprenticeships Shooting provides sustainable food. 97% of all shot quarry is destined for the human food chain. This includes game and animals shot as part of wildlife management activities such as deer, boar, rabbits and pigeons. Page 4 of 5
References Brickle, N. W. (1997). The use of game cover and game feeders by songbirds in winter. In 1997 Brighton Crop Protection Conference - Weeds (pp. 1185 1190). Farnham: British Crop Protection Council. Burns, F., Eaton, M. a., Barlow, K. E., Beckmann, B. C., Brereton, T., Brooks, D. R., Gregory, R. D. (2016). Agricultural Management and Climatic Change Are the Major Drivers of Biodiversity Change in the UK. PLOS ONE, 11(3), e0151595. http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0151595 Harris, S., & Yalden, D. W. (2008). Mammals of the British Isles: Handbook, 4th edition. Mind. (2013). Feel better outside, feel better inside. PACEC. (2012). The Role of Game Shooting in Exmoor Final Report. PACEC. (2014). The Value of Shooting: The economic, environmental and social benefits of shooting sports to the UK. Cambridge, UK. Petrovan, S., & Barrio, I. C. (2011). Farming for pests? Local and landscape-scale effects of grassland management on rabbit densities. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 57(1), 27 34. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10344-010-0394-9 Sánchez-García, C., Buner, F., & Aebischer, N. J. (2015). Supplementary winter food for gamebirds through feeders: Which species actually benefit? The Journal of Wildlife Management, 79(5), 832 845. http://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.889 Siriwardena, G. M., Calbrade, N. A., & Vickery, J. A. (2008). Farmland birds and late winter food: does seed supply fail to meet demand? Ibis, 150(3), 585 595. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919x.2008.00828.x Stoate, C., & Szczur, J. (2001). Could game management have a role in the conservation of farmland passerines? A case study from a Leicestershire farm. Bird Study, 48(3), 279 292. http://doi.org/10.1080/00063650109461228 Page 5 of 5