Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the value of shooting sports is recognised in legislation protecting wildlife.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

Nature protection and management is a devolved issue, so I can only answer with respect to England. When carried out in accordance with the law, shooting is a legitimate and humane activity. In addition to its significant economic contribution, providing jobs and investment in some of our most remote areas, the Government recognises that shooting offers important benefits for wildlife and habitat conservation and can be a useful wildlife management measure.

The Government’s position is that people should be free to undertake lawful activities if they wish to do so and shooting is a permitted method of control in legislation protecting wildlife.