BASC issued the following yesterday:-
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Severe Weather Alert for the Shooting of Wildfowl and Waders
Call for Voluntary Restraint
Today, 6 December 2010, is the seventh day of freezing conditions in England and Wales under the agreed procedures for managing the shooting of ducks, geese and waders during prolonged severe weather. If the severe weather continues, and the agreed criteria are met, a statutory suspension could come into effect in England and Wales on the 15th day (at 00.01 hours) of severe weather ([12/13 December 2010).
Under these circumstances, BASC is calling on all its members and membership groups in England and Wales to exercise restraint in their shooting of all ducks (including reared mallard), geese, waders (including woodcock and snipe), coot and moorhen, where local conditions require it.
Guidance on how to exercise restraint is available on BASC’s website: www.basc.org.uk
Please bring this notice to the attention of your members and any other shooting people you encounter, not least so that the shooting community can be seen to be acting responsibly under the circumstances.
Please also keep your country/regional office informed over any actions which your club or syndicate takes, together with reports of unusual bird movements or birds in poor condition. Please also remember the bird condition forms available on JNCC's website:
www.jncc.gov.uk/page-2894
These forms record information on ground condition and the condition of waterbirds, and should be returned, preferably by email, to either your country/regional office, or your country conservation agency.
Up-to-date information is available from Head Office on 01244 573000 and its website (www.basc.org.uk).