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Industry News
MOVERS & SHAKERS Downing reaches pinnacle The World Forum on Shooting Activities (WFSA) has elected well-known British stalker and journalist Graham Downing as its president. The WFSA is an association of several national and international associations for shooters, hunters and arms collectors, as well as various arms trading and industry groups. WFSA is one of the few recognised non-governmental organisations to be invited to speak at all five United Nations Small Arms Conferences. The main objective of the association is to support scientific studies, preservation, promotion and protection of shooting-related activities on all continents.
BASC members to get in free to NSS As the cost of living soars, a very timely and welcome offer is being made by BASC and National Game Fair Ltd, the new owners of the Northern Shooting Show. In combination, the two organisations have agreed to waive the price of admission to the Northern Shooting Show for all BASC members. For the 2022 Northern Shooting Show and for the next three years, BASC members will have complimentary entry to the show and will also benefit from special rates for their guests—this is against the background of existing free parking and free show guide. The move is expected to catapult the show to a leading position in the UK. Already the trade is lining up to provide a spectacular showcase at the indoor and outdoor venue. The announcement comes shortly after it was confirmed that Stable Events (organisers of
the Game Fair and GWCT Scottish Game Fair) acquired the show for an undisclosed sum last month. The Northern Shooting Show will take place for the fifth time from May 7-8 at the Yorkshire Event Centre. The two-day event expects to welcome around 20,000 shooting enthusiasts this year. James Gower, MD of Stable Events, said: “With hard-working families making difficult decisions about their spending, this unprecedented offer to BASC and their members, and their subsequent acceptance, shows commitment to the industry and shooting communities so they can continue to enjoy their passion. We expect attendance to now rocket, which will be great for exhibitors. BASC members can now enjoy an incredible day out and spend their money on their sport rather than entry tickets.”
Common Sentience The new Animal Sentience Committee will now have to respect cultural traditions, religion and heritage when scrutinising government policy following a successful amendment, supported by BASC, to the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill. A group of 31 MPs proposed an amendment accepted by the government at the report stage of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill that incorporates the original wording of Article 13 of the Lisbon Treaty. The Bill, which is responsible for creating an Animal Sentience Committee that scrutinises government policy on animal welfare, will now have to “respect legislative or administrative provisions and customs relating in particular to religious rites, cultural traditions and regional heritage”. The amendment was put forward by Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP (pictured), BASC vice president and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Shooting and Conservation, and Jonathan Djanogly MP, chairman of the British Shooting Sports Council.
Christopher Graffius of the BASC said: “Our thanks go to the MPs who have worked hard to secure this amendment and to the government for listening to the concerns expressed and acting to resolve them. BASC will work with the Committee when it is established to ensure it remains evidence-led and proportionate in its work.”
Shotgun bill choked Labour MP Luke Pollard introduced a private members bill in an attempt to restrict pump-action shotguns after the tragic shootings in his Plymouth constituency last year. The bill was debated as a ‘ten minute rule’ bill which strictly limits the amount of parliamentary time allotted to a proposed law. Introducing the bill, Pollard said: “I want to rid our communities of these dangerous and unnecessary pumpaction weapons that are currently held in homes throughout the country.” The proposed bill would have restricted the storage of pump-action shotguns so they could not be stored in the owner’s home. Bill Harriman, BASC director of firearms, said: “The Plymouth shooting was a hor-
rific tragedy. However, it is only right that no kneejerk reactions are made before the coroner’s review and the Independent Office for Police Conduct report are published. BASC has met Luke Pollard following the Plymouth murders. There is a firm commitment from both sides that the correct actions are taken to reduce the risk of another tragedy happening. There is also an acceptance that the risk is in the person holding the firearm, not the firearm itself. Any response to this incident must be evidence-led.” In a brief statement, the Home Office declined to back the bill, with a spokesperson saying, “The police have in place robust processes for issuing and reviewing firearms and shotgun licenses.”
Top chef hits heights Hunter and game chef Mike Robinson was presented with the annual Shooting Ambassador award by the World Forum on Shooting Activities at its conference in Nuremburg, Germany. The award was made by the newly elected President of the World Forum Graham Downing (see above). Mike was recognised for the huge contribution he has made on national and international TV in promoting ethical hunting and the use of game and venison as a high quality and sustainable meat.
BGA updates standards As part of its on-going commitment to remain current, the British Game Assurance’s (BGA) has updated its Game Farm Standards, which provide detailed guidance on the entire process including hatching, rearing and breeding. Following a consultation with game farms and vets, the revisions touch on numerous topics such as water supply, perches, feeding space, stocking densities and transportation. Liam Stokes, chief executive of BGA, commented: “We are grateful to every vet and game farmer who contributed to the review of the BGA Game Farming Standards. It is vital when talking to Government and to potential retailers of game that we have a credible, independently assured standard that reflects best practice, but it is equally vital that the Standard is practical and ready to implement. We can
only achieve those aims with constant feedback and input from our supporters on the ground.” Full details of the Game Farm Standards have been made available at www.britishgameassurance.co.uk/ bga-records
M&S to stock BGA-assured meat In other BGA news, following the annual Agents’ Symposium in February, which was attended by a senior member of Marks and Spencer’s agriculture team, the retailer has announced that it is to become
the first to stock game that is both lead-free and British Game Assurance-certified. M&S has stated its intention to lead the way in the sale of sustainable game, which is why the retailer has scrutinised and adopted the BGA’s standards. At the Symposium held at Royal Berkshire Shooting School, it was made clear that all meats have incountry, independently certified Standards, and from now on M&S would expect to see game assured in the same way. BGA is now calling on shoots that want to register for assurance and make the transition away from lead ammunition to contact them to find out how they can supply M&S. BGA CEO Liam Stokes said this was a landmark moment for the game meat market: “M&S has told the shooting world that they want to be the frontrunner in sourcing sustainable, British game, and that means insisting on BGA-certification as well as leadfree. We as a shooting community now need to rise to that challenge. Our new Regional Development Officers are on hand to help any shoot on the journey to assurance, and they are waiting to hear from you.”
