Originally Posted by eeb
All that is a crying shame. Sounds like BASC has an agenda that does not include it’s members. Follow the money.

eeb, - you have highlighted an inescapable fact regarding BASC.

Quite a number of years ago this organisation announced its opposition to the shooting of large numbers of reared gamebirds , mainly pheasants, on commercial driven bird shoots. It adopted an "advisory" role (self assumed) and issued a set of its own recommendations on what should be acceptable practice for these shoots - bag numbers ie limits, stocking density, and rules on releasing amongst others. The seed of their agenda had seemingly fallen on stony ground: the reverse actually happened for a number of years, during widespread general economic growth the large commercial shoots prospered and got ..ahem... bigger. Despite this it seems that the BASC anti-driven shooting faction (do it our way or...) had not gone away but modified its stance to one more "advisory on best practice" instead of dictatorial. In the last two to three years Covid driven restrictions saw a number of shoots close and now in 2022 due to Avian Influenza amongst the EU gamebird breeder farmers there is a major shortage of replacement stock for importation either as eggs or day old chicks. The big commercial shoots in search of birds for their release programme have driven the price of available replacements to absurd levels - and yes price gouging is quite rampant here. End result will be that smaller commercial shoots which closed for a few seasons will be completely finished and those who cannot source new stock this year will also be done for. So that just leaves - The Big Commercial shoots. ..... Just Another Nail in the Lid.

The later drive to abolish lead shot in UK was driven and spearheaded by the BASC executive - the clique of a few individuals at upper management. In the early stages BASC repeatedly referred to its participation in EU managed "consultations" on future restrictions to use of lead shot and muttered blandishments. Yet again it gradually assumed the mantle of "leader" in this issue in UK - subsequently driving this progamme which will end in the debacle of a complete ban on lead shot, bullet heads and airgun pellets.

These are two big issues driven by an outfit which purports to safeguard shooting sports. There are other instances of their incompetence in dealing with issues such as the abolition of the old game licence issued by state post offices [ how else could one provide figures on the number of participants in game shooting with which to support shooting and refute anti-blood sport organisations] and its almost complete acquiescence in issues on firearm and shotgun licensing procedures.

So this leads the thinker to ponder on the usefulness of BASC -- are they just a bunch of inompetents as living proof of the unintended consequences to their actions, or perhaps fall guys duped in their consultative capacity by organisations inimical to fieldsports, or as agents of self harm to the shooting industry in pursuing their own agenda ? Whatever, the toxic legacy of BASC will bear comparison to other incompetents in the ruling classes and the Law Of Unintended Consequences eg the UK governments post-Thatcher. No doubt you may see similarities in US ....

(PS - in case you think I have an axe to grind on behalf of commercial shoots - I do not participate ).