Call to arms by countryside campaigners after government announces review into shooting gamebirds
The UK's largest shooting organisation is urging members to respond to a call for evidence, which they say is likely to lead to a crackdown on game shooting.
The government said the review seeks to "better understand" the impacts of rearing, releasing and shooting gamebirds on wildlife, the environment and animal welfare.
However BASC chief executive Ian Bell said: "Our sector should be under no illusion that the announcement signals a fight for the future of shooting in this country."
And among those to criticise the move was the Countryside Alliance, warning any restrictions would serve as an "attack on countryside communities".
It came the same day that Natural England lost its bid to appeal a High Court ruling in favour of BASC, which said it acted beyond its powers over gamebird release licensing.
BASC went to court over licence conditions that restricted the keeping of gamebirds in release pens inside Special Protection Areas and 500-metre buffer zones before the beginning of the shooting season.
Natural England wanted to reduce the risk of bird flu from gamebirds, especially pheasants, to wild protected birds, by delaying releases until breeding birds had left the areas.
On Thursday Mr Justice Ritchie confirmed his original judgment stands, refused the regulator permission to appeal and ordered it to pay 100% of BASC’s legal costs.
Speaking outside the High Court Mr Bell said that the Judge had touched on the importance of gamebird shooting to the rural community, and to people's livelihoods, and businesses, specifically mentioning gamekeepers.
He said Natural England and Defra submitted the call to evidence to the Judge on the morning of the hearing, which Mr Bell said some could view as "trying to achieve undue influence over the process of law".
He said: "Those who want to see shooting shut down will be mobilising now; we need to mobilise too, and we need to do it better. I have no doubt that or members and the wider shooting community will come together to defend out sport, our livelihoods and our way of life."
Defra said their review would seek to understand whether current animal welfare protections for gamebirds are adequate.
Gamebirds reared for shooting are not covered by the same animal welfare rules as poultry farmed for food. Tens of millions of birds are reared, released and shot every year. In 2025 the figure included 9m live game birds and hatching eggs imported from France and Spain.
But the Countryside Alliance, in a blistering warning, said any restrictions that came about as a result of review would prove harmful to rural communities and economies.
Defra Minister Baroness Hayman, said: "Gamebird shooting has been part of rural life for many years, but it is important to understand the effect it can have on wildlife, the environment and the welfare of the birds themselves, whilst supporting our rural communities.”
Natural England said: "We respect the judgment of the court and will consider the impact of the ruling.”
The call for evidence ends on November 1.