LEAD SHOT DEBATE

Shooting and rural organisations announce plans to get behind the phasing out of the use of lead shot

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Leading shooting and rural organisations have announced they want an end to the use of lead and single-use plastics in shotgun ammunition for live quarry shooting within five years.

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), British Game Alliance (BGA), Countryside Alliance (CA), Country Land and Business Association (CLA), Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO), the Moorland Association (MA), Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) and Scottish Association for Country Sports (SACS) say significant recent advances in technology have enabled the transition to take place.

The group is calling for the support of the wider shooting community and says such a change will benefit wildlife and the environment while also safeguarding the growing market for game meat. A spokesperson for the organisations said: “The shooting community must maintain its place at the forefront of conservation and environmental protection. Continued development of non-lead shot and recyclable and biodegradable plastics means the time is right for a complete transition.