Findhorn Bay Shooting Agreement

[David BASC]

I will get onto this first thing in the morning

David

[big bad lindz]

Have the Forres and Nairn Wildfowlers and other local wildfowlers posted any notices stating the agreement at the areas that visiting wildfowlers may use, car parks hotels & B&B`s etc and also on other shooting forums

It will only take one visiting fowler that may not be aware of the restrictions to cause an upset again.

I know my local club further north over the water and the isle have been made aware of what has and is happening, we are also having some similar minor issues in one area that I shoot.

 

Good luck

 

BBL

[David BASC]

BASC Statement - Wildfowling on Findhorn Bay

Moray Council bypass Local Nature Reserve Management Committee to negotiate with individual petitioners.

The Council-led LNR Management Committee, whose membership includes the local wildfowling club, BASC, recreation and conservation interests and two councillors, was created almost twenty years ago to deal with management issues on Findhorn Bay.

 

In recent years there has been concern over the numbers of wildfowlers visiting Findhorn Bay. The LNR Management Committee had agreed that this should be addressed through the introduction of byelaws that would allow permit control of wildfowling, as happens at many other nature reserves in Scotland. BASC and the local club support the introduction of byelaws to manage wildfowling on Findhorn Bay.

 

Instead of referring the current issues about wildfowling to the LNR Management Committee the council chose to engage with the two individuals who had submitted petitions, one for and one against wildfowling on Findhorn Bay, at a ‘mediation meeting’. The two individuals agreed to the trial of a voluntary agreement that would restrict shooting on Findhorn Bay, both in time and location. This voluntary agreement was confusing and unnecessarily restrictive, calling for all shooting to stop at 10.00 am but not saying when it should recommence.

 

BASC and Forres and Nairn Wildfowlers remain fully supportive of the role of the LNR Management Committee and the introduction of byelaws to facilitate a permit system that would manage wildfowling but cannot support the voluntary agreement due to it being both confusing and unnecessarily restrictive.

 

Our advice to BASC members is:

• there are no legal changes to wildfowling on Findhorn Bay this season
• shooting will continue as normal and should follow strict adherence to the BASC Wildfowling Code of Practice

We strongly encourage Moray Council to work with the LNR Management Committee to consider the introduction of a permit scheme at the earliest possible opportunity.

[Jamcala]

Hardly confusing. The shooting was to stop only in the SE corner from 10am as dictated in the summary. The other areas on Findhorn bay could be shot throughout the day. The only interest was on the SE corner. As Wildfowlers you would think we would all stick together for the best outcome but clearly that has not happened. When this goes to council the risk of losing the bay has increased ten fold.

[Jamcala]

The only restriction was a small area on the SE corner on a Monday and Tuesday but the rest of Findhorn could be shot with no restrictions to restrictions at all. Hope that helps

[Local lad]

Hi I have seen enough negative comments on here (mine included) so thought it was time for some positive ones.

I am not sure who you all are but many thanks to the shooters I meet on Monday morning on the bay.

It made a pleasant change to meet some sensible people using the bay that were willing to sit and listen to some local advice regards go and no-go areas and do’s and don’ts . Appreciate you had just arrived after a long overnight drive and sorry for the lecture but thanks for listening and taking note.

I ended up way over the opposite side of the bay but watched your procession of head torches heading away from the burn corner.

Looked like the seven dwarfs going to work in the dark, surprised you didn’t hear my laughing!

After packing up I went round and parked up at the bird hide and watched the remaining geese paddling about until walked off their roost by a photographer with a big camera and tripod walking out onto them!!!

Anyway when forced to take flight they went high, not a shot was fired so thanks again for that, much appreciated.

Edited October 21, 2016 by Local lad

[Local lad]

Was out again yesterday. Not had much opportunity this year with work commitments. In fact, just over half way through my first box of cartridges, sad eh!!!

Anyway, meet another bunch of lads that were not from the area but were again willing to listen to advice regards shooting.

Anti turned up in hiviz vest, he did his thing, we did ours and we all went home happy.

So, thanks to all, the shooters for a good bit of crack (chat) and the anti for not getting in front of any guns but still making his feelings felt sensibly.

And a special thanks to the very pleasant lady walking her dog, who didn’t seem to be phased by our attire or that we had guns, stopped, passed the time of day and went on her way!!!

Apart for the person in the hiviz vest it was just like how it has been for many years before two white settlers stirred things up.