Grouse shooting season helps Yorkshire communities financially and socially: Robert Goodwill

Sadly, many of the new breed of “staycationers” we are seeing are leaving little for locals apart from the litter from their picnics.

However, a new study by researchers from the University of Northampton has revealed a vital lifeline which is helping to keep some of these communities afloat, even amid the coronavirus storm.

The study examines the impact of integrated moorland management practices, including those that benefit grouse, in upland communities and finds that grouse shooting forms part of a ‘complex web’ of economic and social factors that allows some moorland communities to not only survive, but thrive in these difficult times. 

The study surveyed moorland residents around the UK and found that communities where moors were managed for grouse were far more socially vibrant and economically resilient than those which had no connection to the activity. 

To those familiar with these communities, like me, this comes as no surprise. 

In 2010, the Moorland Association estimated that the industry was worth some £67.7m in England and Wales.

One North Yorkshire pub landlord who participated in the recent study estimated that shooting parties accounted for 30 per cent of his business between August and September, dropping slightly to 20 per cent between October and January.

This can often be the key factor that ensures the survival of the local pub as the focus of the remote community. 

What makes the results of this recent study so fascinating, however, is the breadth of impact grouse shooting has been shown to have on the entire uplands economy.

As well as supporting the wages of gamekeepers, beaters and publicans, estates managed for grouse shooting rely on a whole host of local contractors, sporting agents, lawyers and other workers to facilitate the sport. 

One grouse moor owner estimated that only about 10 per cent of the £800,000 he spends annually goes on gamekeepers’ salaries, with the rest paying for the upkeep of the moor. 

Much of this upkeep is itself of massive benefit to local farmers and the study found that moor owners regularly facilitated farmer access to government stewardship funding streams. 

One farm in Barnsdale was documented to receive 22 per cent of its income from stewardship, while another received 30 per cent.

Moor owners allow farmers to access millions of pounds in grants which are usually only paid after the work has been carried out. Under new post-EU support schemes, these environmental factors will be even more vital.

If estates were to stop integrated moorland management, the researchers forecast that these communities would become even more reliant on tourism and hospitality, the very sectors most at risk from a second peak of infection. The economic consequences of this, they surmised, would be ‘severe’. 

Our uplands are also a vital resource in the fight against the other epidemic we face. 

We are the most obese nation in Europe and this not only leads to many health complications but is a major factor in Covid-19 mortality. 

Moorland communities benefit from increased access to well-managed outdoor space, with 89 per cent of survey respondents regularly exercising on the moors.

By maintaining tracks and clearing areas of bracken, grouse moor managers contribute to this culture of fitness amongst moorland communities. 

These communities also benefit from strong social links and a deep-rooted sense of identity.

Some 83 per cent of those surveyed felt they ‘belonged’ to their communities, with shooting playing a strong part in this sense of identity. A total of 74 per cent were involved in shooting in some way.

As with its economic impact, the social roots of integrated moorland management run deep and provide a lifeline to many communities that would otherwise be struggling even more. 

For upland communities, moorland management that incorporates grouse shooting allows for a richer, more diversified stream of revenue and a more fulfilling social life that benefits even those who have never picked up a gun.

As we reconsider life in a post-Covid world, it is important that we preserve those activities which keep businesses afloat and draw communities like these closer together.

Robert Goodwill is the Conservative MP for Scarborough and Whitby.

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