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Am Bratach No. 194
Field club seeks shooting ban The publicly owned Assynt Foundation is taking “soundings” on whether or not to allow the shooting of woodcock on its land after the Assynt Field Club asked the group to ban the sport. The field club is also asking the foundation to consider limiting shooting on its land to the culling of deer, as they are “a special case”, having no natural predators. The club issued a statement that woodcock shooting is incompatible with the aim of the foundation to safeguard and enhance the natural heritage. “We also question whether shooting woodcock can be described as sustainable”, said the statement. It points out that there has been no assessment of woodcock numbers and that “a proportion of any woodcock shot are likely to be from our local breeding population”. The woodcock is listed nationally as “of conservation concern”. The foundation board of directors is seeking support for commercial woodcock shooting as part of what is described as the “sporting element” of their activities. Although a minority of board members dissented, they were outvoted by directors in favour. There will not be a member’s vote on the issue, but members have an opportunity to make their views known to the foundation until the end of year, after which the board of directors will make a decision on their woodcock policy. A controversial part of the “sounding” is that it states that anyone who does not respond will be assumed to support woodcock shooting. |