A simple lie beats a complex truth far too often for the future safety of our countryside. The RSPB’s remorseless attacks on grouse moors and rotational heather burning are classic examples. According to them, rotational cool heather burning burns peat, causes floods, destroys biodiversity, drives global warming and is the same as burning tropical rainforest or the lethal and catastrophic wildfires that raged through Australia and California.
None of these assertions – which are easy to make and, coming from RSPB, often believed – is true. However, their refutation takes time and thought, which few people are prepared to give.
Does it matter? Yes, it does. What is at stake is not simply grouse shooting but the survival of our heather moorland, the rare and precious wildlife it supports and the communities of reasonable people whose chosen way of life this threatens to destroy.
Although the RSPB repeatedly refers to grouse moors as ‘industrial landscapes’, nothing could be further from the truth. They are replete with designations: Site of Special Scientific Interest; Special Area of Conservation; Special Protection Area; many have been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or fall into National Parks. They were recognised internationally in the Rio Convention. Crucially, they acquired their designations because they were grouse moors, not despite being grouse moors.
この記事は The Field の August 2021 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は The Field の August 2021 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Going over old ground
Forget modern tractors and minimum tillage - there is something glorious about the sight of farmer, horse and vintage plough in perfect harmony
Return of the natives
There is nothing as satisfying as creating a magical miniature woodland or conservation hedgerow using our native trees - and now is the best time to start.
Tagging the Cornish tunny
Enormous Atlantic bluefin tuna are once again making waves in UK waters almost a century after their showstopping appearance in the North Sea
In it for the long haul
It may have fallen out of favour at the elite level but long-format three-day eventing is still proving popular with grassroots riders
Unpicking the story of hunt buttons
These treasured tokens are bestowed only upon those who go above and beyond in service of their hunt but the rules around them can be complex
A place of tradition in the heart of town
Cordings has helped shape the sartorial landscape of Britain for 185 years, with its classic country tailoring a firm staple of many sporting wardrobes
Don't play it by ear
Hearing loss can have a devastating impact on day-to-day life, making ear protection a non-negotiable piece of field kit
Back to base-ics
Britain's famously unpredictable climate can make staying comfortable in the field a challenge but the right under layers can be a game changer
Stand and deliver
A good stance provides the platform for shotgun marksmanship and is fundamental to consistent success in the field or breaking clays
Heaven is a High Four
A team of guns enjoy a day of the finest sport Devon has to offer, courtesy of the GWCT and a quartet of generous shoot owners