Tim Bonner: New pandemic problems for shooting

After two years of covid-interrupted shooting we were all looking forward to a return to normality this autumn. Unfortunately that is not going to be the case. An extensive outbreak of avian flu in some of the major game rearing areas on the Continent has seen the cross-channel trade in partridge and pheasant eggs almost completely closed down.

Historically, roughly 80% of partridges and 40% of pheasants released in the UK originate from laying flocks in Europe. This trade is not about lower costs or lower standards outside the UK. The simple reality is that laying birds in regions to the south of the UK benefit from the warmer and drier climate and crucially have an earlier and longer laying season. It makes perfect sense to source eggs from areas like the Loire Valley and then hatch and rear them in the UK, that is until a problem like bird flu closes down international trade.

As a result of the hundreds of confirmed cases of avian flu, millions of partridge and pheasant eggs that would usually be coming across the channel have been blocked from entry into the UK. Without those eggs there will be far fewer birds hatched and reared, and far fewer days shooting, especially in September and October when partridge shooting dominates the sporting scene. In addition, the steep rise in the cost of both gas and feed means that the cost of rearing those birds that are being hatched will skyrocket.

This is not just a narrow issue for those who operate and work on shoots. The impact will be felt across the countryside. Pubs, hotels, lodges and gun shops will all feel a significant drop in trade as shoots reduce their schedule or, as is happening at the moment, pack up completely,

There is no simple answer to this immediate problem. Avian flu is becoming more prevalent and it is impossible to argue that game bird eggs should be exempt from movement restrictions when the movement of all other poultry products is constrained. In the longer-term there does need to be a discussion about the sustainability of the game shooting sector. Shoots can clearly not rely on imported eggs and even within the UK, game farming industry egg production practices like partridge boxes and raised laying units are coming under scrutiny. In fact there was a debate in the House of Lords just yesterday on a Bill to prohibit such systems. There needs to be a focus on the development of alternative egg production systems that can operate in the British climate, and if global warming offers us anything, it does at least mean that the climate in the South of England is increasingly beneficial for game farming. After all, if we can produce high quality sparkling wine in Kent it must be perfectly possible to produce partridge and pheasant eggs competitively.

The shooting sector is a very important contributor to the rural economy. Putting it on a firm footing for the future is, therefore, vital to sustain jobs and businesses. If nothing else comes from the difficult season ahead, a move towards a more sustainable and resilient game farming industry would be at least a crumb of comfort.