TV program Investigating the pheasant shooting industry (RSPCA)

[Highlander]

As someone who has a number of gripes with BASC I feel compelled to say that in this instance I think they are and have been quite up front in supporting the humane rearing of game birds. BASC do a hell of a job behind the scenes supporting our sports and sometimes that may mean compromising in the face of the PC brigade to achieve a reasonable outcome but when all said and done we have a strong lobbist group for our sports and that’s why they get my vote.

 

I notice ac is a member of an alternative organisation (NGA) and that’s his privilege BUT BASC are the largest organisation specifically supporting shooting and I believe we’d all do well to support that. IMO all the organisations should join forces to provide a united front but that's a subject for another debate. There’s a lot of banter on here about the cheapest options when it comes to joining an organisation (usually just for the insurance) but remember as a member of BASC you’re getting far more and supporting far more than simply being insured to shoot. Which by the way is now up to 10million with BASC and only matched AFAIK by CA.

[harryhawk]

My reply from the BBC.......

 

 

 

Dear Mr Harrison

 

Thank you for your email regarding your concerns over 'Inside Out East

Midlands' broadcast on Wednesday 7 November 2007.

 

The programme's investigation into the rearing of pheasants was not

intended as a debate on the perceived rights or wrongs of game shooting

itself - these issues and the many differing views on them have been and

will continue to be widely covered by the BBC.

 

This 'Inside Out' report focused on the conditions in which some game

birds are raised and asked questions surrounding their welfare - these

are issues which even some involved in the sport do not know about.

 

The comment regarding 'producing food that nobody really wants' was

made by Kit Davidson, Shooting Consultant with Animal Aid. These were Mr

Davidson?s personal views and they were accurately reported by the BBC.

Later on in the report, journalist Alistair Jackson addresses this

point by explaining that the organiser of the shoot which he attended

said that all the birds shot that day would either be taken home by the

participants or sold to butchers.

 

None of the contributors to this report were given "leading" questions

- they expressed their own, strongly-held views on what is undeniably a

controversial subject.

 

The report was fair and balanced as it included a very wide range of

views and expert opinions including participants at the shoot which

Alistair Jackson attended, and the British Association of Shooting &

Conservation. In addition, the concerns raised as a result of the undercover

filming were all responded to by the farm owner in question, as

explained by Alistair Jackson. We therefore cannot agree that the report

exhibited any "bias" or that it was "one-sided".

 

Therefore, I would like to assure you that I have registered your

comments on our audience log. This is the internal report of audience

feedback which we compile daily for all programme makers and commissioning

executives within the BBC, and also their senior management. It ensures

that your points, and all other comments we receive, are circulated and

considered across the BBC.

 

 

I trust that I have been able to allay your concerns in this matter.

Thank you again for contacting BBC Information.

 

Regards

 

Geraldine Walsh

BBC Information

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[badgerman]

had exactly the same reply harry, obviously we were wrong!

[Lord Geordie]

I have written an official complaint about this. I am SEETHING

 

 

 

 

Dear Sir or Madam!

 

 

 

I am writing in reguard to your report on Pheasant shooting and rearing on Nov 7th 2007 and am

totally disgusted in which your program has portrayed the whole issue!

 

I was under the impression a Reporter was to be BIAS where in this case it seems the reporter

was clearly of an Anti shooting stance from the get go!!!

 

This was "not" a report on Pheasant shooting and rearing it was an "Attack" on it and nothing less

This type of reporting is in my opinion one sided and brought about for one reason.

 

The chap (ex Navy engineer) who was giving his opinion was clearly miss informed and reallyt should

spend time in Turkey farms and in chicken batteries where there are as many as 8 hens in a 3 foot

square cage before he passes comment on the situation reguarding the rearing pens for pheasants.

 

Also the concerns viewed about the mask over the Hen pheasants beaks was what I think a bit of

downright low tactics in reporting. These are provided as they are very territorial and will peck another

pheasant to Death if these are not installed. They are there solely to prevent injury to assure the

pheasant's are in a safer enviroment than if these were NOT fitted!!

 

If you are concerned about this practise then may I point you in the direction of "Other" animal

practises like Ring in cattles noses and in Pigs to stop them digging under their enclosures.

Tags in Cattles ears and tags installed into some species of fish such as Sharks and Ray.

How about nailing shoes on a Horses foot or tattooing a Dogs Ear should I go on here???

 

Also the Ex Navy chaps rant about the birds are killed and wasted is utter nonsense. These Birds

Rabbits Hares etc end up in one of 3 places. The shooter the beaters or the game dealers NOTHING

goes to waste and if you do MORE research the sales of Game is increasing thanks to PRO

programs showing the shooting of game and the how to of cooking it.

 

People need to stand back and take a look at the BIGGER picture here. Shooting brings billions to

the UK economy every year and also into the tourist industry as we have people from France Spain

America Australia Europe to shoot on a TRUE english sporting estate.

 

Part of the report said these people pay £600 a day makes it sound disgustinly expensive where

infact it is not. I beat for a local Shoot as a Hobby and as reward I get a days shooting at the end of

the season for all my hard work. Also If I chose I could also pay around £80 for a days rough

shooting at the end of the season should I not be beating that season.

 

I live in the inner city of Newcastle and have a GREAT passion for the country and it really gets

to me when you get City People passing judgement on the country folk with NO reguard for their

traditions or livleyhoods. The Bias reporting of issiues like this only serve one purpose and that is

to try and smear the way of the country in the eyes of the city folk who never venture out to take a

look for themselves and read all the gutter press statements and swallow them hook line and sinker.

 

Thank the lord there are TRUE representations of the countryside in more PRO programs like River

Cottage and the likes!

 

I really don't know which way to Take the BBC at present? Here you are reporting about the so called

nasty way in which Game is reared Killed and alledged WASTED but you also have a website informing

people how to cook Game and how good it is for you on the following site!!!

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/get_cooking/

 

Talk about double standards!!!!!!

 

There are at least 1.5 million people in the UK who are engaged in some way in the Game industry be it

Shooters Rearers Beaters Gamekeepers etc etc and they are ALL watching the BBC with a keen eye!

 

Now in MY estimation thats a LOT of TV license money lets say near £200 million? Now lets imagine

even HALF of those get so disgusted in the one sided reports that are aired that they decide to cancel

their TV licence fees even for 1 year due to their frustration at the way the BBC protrays their sport!!

 

Thats a WHOLE lot of money you COULD potentially loose out on.

 

Then if it goes the other way and in a act of ludicrous parlimentary actio all shooting is banned then

where will the BILLIONS in lost revenue come from??? More tax misery that where from!!!

 

The countryside is kept in tip top condition by People who follow the country sports such as re-planting

hedge rows planting cover crops and feed crops and this not only serves the Game population but

ALSO aids and helps keep the Native birds happy as they have places to Nest and plenty of food!!

 

Next time your walking round the City take a look at the Starlings and the Sparrows and think back

a few years and remember how many of them there were!!!!!

 

Now look at how FEW there are in comparison due to farmers being urged to uproot their hedges

and gain more arable land not to many years ago causing a decline in said birds. These hedges not

only supplied a Nesting area but also security from predators and the grass and fauna beneath and

around provided food. After the Hedgerows were removed to increase faming capacity this dessamated

the songbird numbers. Now with the likes of people like Myself and my Colleauges we are reinstating

hedgerows and covercrops for Game birds and this is ALSO aiding the songbird population. Farmers

are NOW being urged to replant the hedgerows also due to soil errosion.

 

I really think WE need to be viewed in a more favourable light rather than the current sniping that

seems to be common place in todays News and if people knew ALL the facts of Revenue raised by us

the good we do for the countryside and the food we put on peoples plates etc then perhaps they will

become more neutral but this is not what is being protrayed at present! We are being portrayed as

Monsters when infact we are quite the opposite

 

The Hon Martin Baird!!!!

[invector]

Pity about the spelling, grammar and inappropriate use of capital letters..............

[charlie 1]

My reply from the BBC.......

 

 

 

Dear Mr Harrison

 

Thank you for your email regarding your concerns over 'Inside Out East

Midlands' broadcast on Wednesday 7 November 2007.

 

The programme's investigation into the rearing of pheasants was not

intended as a debate on the perceived rights or wrongs of game shooting

itself - these issues and the many differing views on them have been and

will continue to be widely covered by the BBC.

 

This 'Inside Out' report focused on the conditions in which some game

birds are raised and asked questions surrounding their welfare - these

are issues which even some involved in the sport do not know about.

 

The comment regarding 'producing food that nobody really wants' was

made by Kit Davidson, Shooting Consultant with Animal Aid. These were Mr

Davidson?s personal views and they were accurately reported by the BBC.

Later on in the report, journalist Alistair Jackson addresses this

point by explaining that the organiser of the shoot which he attended

said that all the birds shot that day would either be taken home by the

participants or sold to butchers.

 

None of the contributors to this report were given "leading" questions

- they expressed their own, strongly-held views on what is undeniably a

controversial subject.

 

The report was fair and balanced as it included a very wide range of

views and expert opinions including participants at the shoot which

Alistair Jackson attended, and the British Association of Shooting &

Conservation. In addition, the concerns raised as a result of the undercover

filming were all responded to by the farm owner in question, as

explained by Alistair Jackson. We therefore cannot agree that the report

exhibited any "bias" or that it was "one-sided".

 

Therefore, I would like to assure you that I have registered your

comments on our audience log. This is the internal report of audience

feedback which we compile daily for all programme makers and commissioning

executives within the BBC, and also their senior management. It ensures

that your points, and all other comments we receive, are circulated and

considered across the BBC.

 

 

I trust that I have been able to allay your concerns in this matter.

Thank you again for contacting BBC Information.

 

Regards

 

Geraldine Walsh

BBC Information

 

 

I recieved that exact same e-mail reply!

[dustyfox]

F the anti's its your life you can do what you want and they can do what they want if it doesnt involve others.

 

Humans have been hunters since we were created, we have created better weapons for killing animals as quickly as possible than ever before and still the anti's are still not pleased. I bet if there was a food shortage in the supermarkets and the price of food quadrupled, I bet a few of them would ask for a brace or two.

[auto culto]

wow did they just copy and paste the same reply for everyone. Looks like mines slightly different

 

Thank you for contacting BBC Information regarding 'Inside Out - East Midlands' broadcast on Wednesday 7 November 2007. The programme's investigation into the rearing of pheasants was not intended as a debate on the perceived rights or wrongs of game shooting itself - these issues and the many differing views on them have been and will continue to be widely covered by the BBC. This 'Inside Out' report focused on the conditions in which some game birds are raised and asked questions surrounding their welfare - these are issues which even some involved in the sport do not know about. None of the contributors to this report were given 'leading' questions - they expressed their own, strongly-held views on what is undeniably a controversial subject. The report was fair and balanced as it included a very wide range of views and expert opinions including participants at the shoot which Alistair Jackson attended, and the British Association of Shooting & Conservation. In addition, the concerns raised as a result of the undercover filming were all responded to by the farm owner in question, as explained by Alistair Jackson. We therefore cannot agree that the report exhibited any 'bias' or that it was 'one-sided'. I trust that I have been able to allay your concerns in this matter; however I note that you may take a different view and I would like to assure you that we have registered your comments on our audience log. This is the internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily for all programme makers and commissioning executives within the BBC, and also their senior management. It ensures that your points, and all other comments we receive, are circulated and considered across the BBC. Thank you again for contacting BBC Information. Regards James KellyBBC Information