SIMON Clarke of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation accuses Animal Aid of spreading false and inaccurate claims (Letters, November 1) because we dare expose the truth about pheasant rearing and the shooting business. Our new report (see www.animalaid.org.uk) makes the case against greed and excess within the industry; of millions of shed-reared birds being shot but left uneaten - some finishing up buried in the ground. These are not mere rhetorical flourishes on the part of an anti-shooting organisation. The admissions come from leading shooting advocates in periodicals for fellow enthusiasts.
The BASC itself recently admitted (Shooting Times, September 27) that, every year, some 30-35 million pheasants are reared, of which up to 16 million are shot.
Country Life magazine (February 1) revealed that twice as many birds are shot than the market can absorb. It is also acknowledged that over-supply has led to shoots being forced to give away their bags, or, worse still, bury their surplus. Let's debate this matter on the basis of recognised facts rather than the BASC's evasion and self-deceit.
Andrew Tyler,
Director, Animal Aid,
Tonbridge, Kent.
Updated: 10:04 Friday, November 16, 2001
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