P-05-1201 Ban the shooting of critically endangered birds...give them the protection they so desperately need!, Correspondence – Petitioner to Committee, 18.10.21

Dear Members of the Petitions Committee,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to reply to the Minister's letter concerning my petition calling on a ban of the shooting of red and amber listed birds of conservation concern.

I and many others cannot understand that at the time of an ecological emergency that these rare and vulnerable birds are not protected from sport shooting

I appreciate that the shooting industry will do their utmost to "green wash" their reasons for continuing the shooting of red and amber species of conservation concern, by informing us that they feed seed and plant trees, which benefit these species. Yet, if I were to plant bamboo forests then shoot wild pandas for fun, there would be a public outcry and condemnation and I am certain that no one would ask for evidence that I was adding to their decline before rightly stopping me!

Inevitably, if you agree with the shooting industry's reasons for persecuting these vulnerable birds, then you would end up agreeing with the trophy hunting fraternity and their reasoning that the paying of large sums of money (for their so called conservation) gives them the right to shoot rhinos, elephants, giraffes, lions and even tigers in Africa and India.

I am very surprised and concerned that the Welsh Minister for Climate Change has asked for "evidence" to support changing the regulations to better protect these birds. Surely the mere fact that these birds are red and amber listed (meaning that they are some of our most vulnerable and declining bird species) is all the evidence you need.

I am not saying that shooting is the only or main reason for their decline, but killing them for fun certainly does not help their desperate plight. I may never agree that shooting live birds is a sport, but the fact is they will still be able to shoot birds on the green list, so this is not a call for a total ban.

I believe that there are enough wildlife friendly voices within the Senedd who believe that the conservation of red and amber listed birds should be a priority as part of Wales' response to the Ecology Emergency and that Wales and the Senedd has the opportunity to lead the way in UK wildlife conservation.

Regards,