Industry News
5
INDUSTRY NEWS Around the UK and abroad, all the top stories digested
Highland Outdoors sign Rovince Highland Outdoors has announced an exclusive new distribution partnership with UK anti-tick clothing manufacturer Rovince, with the agreement effective from February 2022. Rovince has been developing and producing clothing with unique added value since 2009—each and every garment is impregnated with a chemical which repels ticks, thereby helping to prevent incidents of Lyme disease. Over the past 10 years Rovince has become an authority in the field of tick-proof clothing and its garments are used in many professional sectors, including the German Army. From outdoor professionals to dog walkers, Rovince clothing is proving invaluable in the prevention of tick bites and their potentially serious health outcomes. Rovince’s fabric is factory-treated with Permethrin, which causes the so-called “hot feet” effect— when a tick comes into contact with the fabric, it almost immediately becomes paralysed and falls off the garment. Rovince offer top-to-toe solutions including jackets, pants, polos, shirts and socks for men and women, as well as a range of workwear. See rovince.uk for their range.
Government announces major ‘rewilding’ plans Farmers in England will be given public cash to rewild their land under ambitious new plans for largescale nature recovery projects announced by the government. These new environmental land management schemes will lead to large tracts of land being managed to conserve species, provide habitats for wildlife and restore health to rivers and streams. The two new schemes unveiled by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice, at the Oxford Farming Conference will play a pivotal role in the government’s objectives to halt the decline of species by 2030, to bring up to 60% of England’s agricultural soil under sustainable management by 2030, and to restore 300,000 hectares of wildlife habitat by 2042. The Local Nature Recovery scheme is aimed at single or multiple farm-scale interventions to make more space for nature. This could fit in with the aspirations of farm-scale shooting activities that want to see improved habitat on farmlands such as shelter belts, cover crops and woodland management. “Local Nature Recovery will replace the existing Countryside Stewardship scheme,” explained Environment Secretary Eustice. “Most holdings have a part of the farm that is perhaps not really suitable
for crop production, or less productive, or difficult to work. There is an opportunity to make those parts of the holding a special space for nature.” The focus of the Landscape Recovery scheme, the second component of the new plans, is going to be about much more fundamental land-use change and is aimed at large-scale and long-term projects to provide landscape and ecosystem recovery. This could suit larger landowners working together, like shooting
curlews will be specifically encouraged, but the stated aim is to improve the status of about half of the most threatened species in England. Bids are being invited for 15 pilot projects, each covering at least 500 hectares and up to 5,000 hectares, to a total of approximately 10,000 hectares, in the first two-year phase. These pilots could involve full rewilding or other forms of management that focus on species recovery and wildlife habitats.
decline in species, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, increase woodland, improve water and air quality and create more space for nature.” The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), which has been party to the development process of the schemes, welcomed the move and said that the government’s new schemes are an open door for land management practices undertaken for shooting and conservation.
“Land will be managed to conserve
species, provide habitats for wildlife and restore health to rivers ” estates, to conserve key species such as the curlew or to rewet peatland habitats. “One of the lessons we’ve learned is that sometimes if you let go of the reins and allow nature to re-establish itself, you can see some quite significant changes in a relatively short time frame,” said Eustice. Rare fauna such as sand lizards, water voles and
Eustice added that the aim was for wildlife and nature protection to run alongside food production as a matter of course: “We want to see profitable farm businesses producing nutritious food and underpinning a growing rural economy, where nature is recovering and people have better access to it. We are going to work with farmers and land managers to halt the
CPSA Awards finalists announced
Olympic bronze medalist Matthew Coward-Holley is one of the nominations for Clay Shooter of the Year
The finalists have been announced by the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association (CPSA) for its prestigious annual awards. The CPSA Annual Awards will take place on Saturday 12 March 2022 at the Hilton at St George’s Park in Burton on Trent. The Awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements of individuals, clubs, and other organisations that help to promote and develop clay shooting in England. n Clay Shooter of the Year, sponsored by Vario Hearables Matthew Coward-Holley, Cheryl Hall, Mark
n
n n
n
Winser, Brody Woollard, Richard Faulds MBE Club/Ground of the Year, sponsored by Promatic Barbury Shooting Ground, National Clay Shooting Centre, East Yorkshire Clay Shooting Ground, South West Shooting School Coach of the Year, sponsored by Browning Max Tarr, Becky McKenzie, Brent Woodard Disabled Shooter of the Year, sponsored by Solware Adrian Last, Ben Woodham, Mark Delf Emerging Shooter of the Year, sponsored by GMK Beretta
n
n
n
n
Kallum Burrell, Darcy McBride, Leah Southall, Charlie Faulds, Harry Poolman Course Setters of the Year, sponsored by Fellows Media Jamie Peckham, Josh Brown, Steve Lovatt, Sports Personality of the Year, sponsored by Zoli Shotguns Tony Axcell, Mhairi-Ann Troup, Julia Havill Young Shot of the Year, sponsored by Laporte Barney Eastman, Isabel Cartlidge, Matthew Paley, Toby Hurstfield, Jasper Pearce Volunteer of the Year, sponsored by CPSA Bob Smith, Janet Stennett
