BASC National Wildfowling Conference (25th anniversary) - 16th March

[Conor O'Gorman]

The conference and the Wildlife Habitat Trust auction will take place at the Ramada Hotel and Resort Birmingham on Saturday 16th March 2013.

 

Notice of the conference has been sent to all wildfowling club secretaries and all the delegates that attended the 2012 conference. Notice has also been sent to all BASC members signed up to BASC's email newsletter "Wildfowling Fast Track".

 

If you would like to attend click here for more details, including the booking form that needs to be sent to BASC Head Office before Friday 15th February.

 

Below is an intro to the presentations that will be given.

 

“25 years of the BASC wildfowling conference – why is it important, how has wildfowling changed and what are the challenges ahead?” John Swift, BASC Chief Executive.

John Swift will need no introduction having worked at BASC for forty years, the last 25 years as Chief Executive. John was involved setting up and running the first wildfowling conference. Through his work with FACE in Europe John has ensured that the BASC national wildfowling conference has addressed the key issues that face wildfowlers. John’s unique perspective will not only provide a wonderful opportunity to look back over the last 25 years, but also to look at the challenges ahead.

 

“The Good Club Guide. Updates to the BASC Wildfowling manual and how this can help you to run your club”. Mark Greenhough, BASC Wildfowling Officer.

Through his close work with BASC affiliated wildfowling clubs Mark has a clear view of the concerns wildfowlers have for the future of their clubs. The important revisions to the Wildfowling Manual will help ensure clubs continue to run to the highest standards.

 

“Key liability issues facing clubs – third party liability and Directors and Officers liability”. Marsh and David Ilsley, BASC Head of Marketing Membership Services.

Insurance for wildfowling clubs is vitally important and something that club representatives regularly contact BASC about. A representative from Marsh will be talking about what the BASC insurance covers and what other insurance protection is necessary.

 

“UK marine conservation: background, site selection and designation and how wildfowling will be treated”. Nigel Gooding, Deputy Director of Marine Biodiversity, Defra

I am delighted that Nigel Gooding from Defra will be attending the conference to talk about marine conservation. The seas around the United Kingdom are a vital resource which need to be protected and managed properly. Wildfowlers will have read a great deal about the creation of Marine Conservation Zones which include highly protected areas. But what happens when that protection moves into the intertidal zone where wildfowling takes place? I am sure wildfowlers will want to know the answer to this important question.

 

"Bag returns"

We now have three presentations on the thorny subject of shooting bag returns. The first, from Cy Griffin at FACE, presents the international picture of the need for bag returns, the efforts FACE is making both to enhance their collection and value, and to ensure the hunting community is fully involved in managing quarry populations and demonstrating that hunting is sustainable.

 

The second is from Colin Shedden, BASC Scotland, showing how the Scottish Government is introducing the practice of adaptive harvest management for goose populations in Scotland. Necessarily, details of the birds killed by shooting, and by other causes, are required in this process.

 

The third is from Kate Ives, BASC Research Department, on the re-launch of BASC’s own bag return scheme. Ours initially ran from 1979/80 to 2002/03. Then Defra commissioned GWCT and BASC to review the effectiveness of our two membership-based schemes (GWCT’s National Gamebag Census and BASC’s National Shooting Survey) to monitor the annual shooting bags of British quarry species. The successful study was not followed up by Defra as expected. Scotland then began its move towards national bag monitoring as we will hear. Consequently BASC, in liaison with GWCT, has re-launched its own scheme to demonstrate the shooting community’s responsibility, and to ensure BASC is fully involved in any further developments, especially if moves are made towards mandatory bag returns.

Edited December 5, 2012 by Conor O'Gorman