Thank you for your responses (2)


Hundreds of you are responding to the DEFRA gamebird consultation and telling us that you have done so – here are some more examples from your emails to us (see earlier selection – click here).

Thank you for responding – every response is valuable, whether you basically cut-and-paste our suggestions, shorten or lengthen them, correct the typos or introduce some of your own, refine or embellish them, or indeed start from scratch and produce your own perfect consultation response.

The closing date for consultations is Monday so we expect many more people to have a look at this at the weekend and send off a response then. Here are our suggestions for how to respond – click here.

Here are just a few more quotes from what you have sent us:

I enjoy your emails and have responded to your various campaigns, as they have always been worthwhile. I don’t always take the effort to write protest emails, but I did take the time to respond to the DEFRA consultation this morning. Much as I trust you all, and certainly a lot more than our current catastrophic government, I don’t like putting my name to anything unless I know enough about the subject. Consequently it took me a lot longer than forty minutes. This is because I felt I had to read the Madden and Sage review. But this did allow me to express your views in my own words, add a few of my own and include some additional facts from the report. Let’s hope that together we can make a difference. As it stands, these particular proposals seem designed to support the status quo (not one of my favourite bands: I consider myself an ageing punk, much like Chris!).

I submitted my response to the consultation today. Bit of a long winded process but your guidance was really helpful. Here’s hoping they revise the proposal! Keep up the good work. 

Hi – I’ve responded – wow – what a pig of a consultation – they really don’t want you to answer do they? Thanks for the helpful hints.

Hi Folks. Just to let you know filled in the consultation survey. Living in Suffolk I am very aware of the game bird industry and what nasty things come with it . I wish you so much luck and thank you for being my voice , Take Care . Keep safe

 Wanted to let you know I’ve just responded (in full) to this, complete with the mini rant below (!) in answer to Part C

I beleve that Defra should not allow any releases of gamebirds on N2K sites or within a min 1km buffer zone around them for at least 5 years. Also: This consultation has not had a long enough period for responses (only 3 weeks) It is heavily biased towards the shooting industry rather than protection of the countryside. Not only in terms of what would suit the shooting industry but also in biased presentation of so called ‘evidence’ that shooting BENEFITS the environment – when all genuinely independent evidence shows that nearly all the effects and impacts are negative It does not address the negative impacts – including financial – on other residents/businesses eg tourism etc etc – or communities in the countryside in the vicinity of shoots. I know from bitter personal experience how much shoots impact negatively on the wellbeing of those around them . A local wellknown area of great natural beauty and many rare species which is -or was – much loved and treasured by local people has been quite literally trashed by being sold and turned into a shoot for rich incomers who care nothing for the wildlife or local communities. And I can also assure you the birds roam a LOT further than 500m (or even 1km)! 

Your suggestions were invaluable, I paraphrased but it saved hours of time, thank you!

Dear Lovely People, Many thanks for the very helpful notes which helped me enormously in drafting my response to DEFRA. I think these government agencies make such consultation exercises as difficult as possible to deter members of the public from challenging their traditional role of supporting the vested interests of wealthy and powerful groups.
Keep up the good work.

I have just submitted my response. The 500m buffer zone is as you have pointed out inadequate and I have proposed a 5km buffer zone. When *********** Farming Ltd. took over the surrounding farmland around my village they introduced shooting and despite protests their response was ‘its going to happen whether you like it or not’. However, after numerous complaints to the police the shooting was stopped. Local properties were hit with lead shot, I experienced lead shot whizz past my house on several occasions and lead shot landed next to me whilst walking along the public highway. I have also experienced the shooting of a pheasant directly above my car as I passed by a group of shooters. These people involved in shooting have no respect for anything or anyone, including the law. The legacy of the shooting has left a significant local pheasant population which invade my garden on a daily basis with anything up to 25 birds. These birds cause much damage with their scratching and deprive the native bird species that I try to attract of vital food. Its no wonder so many of our native birds are in decline.

Mark, Ruth and Chris, I have responded to DEFRA’s consultation. Many thanks for the guidance notes – great focus but I chose to put it in my own words. Keep up the good work.