New data gathered by League Against Cruel Sports Scotland as part of its work with the Revive Coalition for grouse moor reform show that seven in ten of those polled are opposed to grouse shooting for sport. The figures will come as an unwelcome wake-up call to the grouse shooting industry which has relied for years on its ‘normalisation’ of slaughtering grouse and a supportive media trotting out the mantra of tradition, ‘sport’ and the (in)glorious twelfth and the importance to the economy of a relatively few minimum wage jobs. That was never sustainable under targeted analysis that has uncovered the truth about wildlife crime, raptor persecution, widescale trapping of snaring of native predators, and the burning of the uplands solely to support the intensive farming of Red grouse for the gun. As we and many, many others have said, once the public learns the realities of the grouse shooting industry they don’t reach for a gun – they almost invariably just want the bloody thing stopped.

Whilst we are somewhat reluctant to jump in on the good work of others, please also have a look at our own ‘Language Matters‘ campaign, which aims to undermine the loaded and discriminatory terminology used by the shooting and hunting industries by explaining just how important the use of language really is.

Seven in ten of those polled are opposed to grouse shooting for sport

New figures published by the League Against Cruel Sports Scotland show seven in ten people (71%) are opposed to grouse shooting in Scotland with only 12% in favour of the blood sport, views which are shared by those in both urban and rural locations. The figures are released as the Scottish Government prepares to publish its response to the Werritty Review, expected later this month.

A review of grouse moor management practices was ordered by the Scottish Government in 2017 with a view to introducing a licensing scheme for game-shooting estates. The Grouse Moor Management Group was tasked to look at the environmental impact of grouse moor management practices such as muirburn, the use of medicated grit and mountain hare culls, and advise on the option of licensing grouse shooting businesses. The Scottish Government commissioned group published its report led by Professor Alan Werritty, in November 2019.

Robbie Marsland, Director of the League Against Cruel Sports Scotland said:

“Almost a year ago Professor Werritty said wider societal views needed to be taken into account and political decisions made, well here are those views. Seven in ten people do not support grouse shooting in Scotland with only a pitifully low number in favour.

“We are urging the Scottish Government to take these views into account when it responds to Werritty later this month. There is a circle of destruction that surrounds grouse moors.  These moors account for enormous swathes of Scotland which deplete biodiversity, add to climate change pressures, employ rigorous predator control which causes untold suffering to tens of thousands of animals each year and make a woeful economic contribution.

“The time has come to move on from this archaic use of land and look at reviving grouse moors in a way which doesn’t revolve around a minority bloodsport opposed by the vast majority of Scottish people.”

The polling was commissioned by the League Against Cruel Sports Scotland as part of its work with Revive, the coalition for grouse moor reform.

Grouse Shooting in Scotland, League Against Cruel Sports. 02 Nov 2020