Aim to Sustain: 9 shooting and rural organisations launch NATO for shooting

At The Game Fair last week the UK’s shooting organisations held a launch event for a new organisation - Aim to Sustain - that is intended to act as a “NATO for shooting and the countryside.” Aim to Sustain has been formed to highlight the crucial role that sustainable game shooting plays in delivering biodiversity net gain through preserving and protecting cherished rural landscapes and a tremendous array of wildlife. The partnership will also focus on showcasing the contribution that game management makes to sustaining rural communities, providing high quality food and making the countryside a place that visitors treasure.

The organisations involved in the partnership are: British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), Countryside Alliance, Country Land & Business Association (CLA), Game Farmers Association (GFA), Moorland Association, National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO and Scottish Land and Estates, and British Game Alliance (BGA). The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) are acting as the scientific advisers for the partnership.
 
While the shooting organisations have been working closely on a variety of topics for some time, through the Shoot Liaison Committee, this takes that cooperation to the next level. The partnership will see the member organisations retain their existing independent  structures and memberships but pool resources, expertise and energy to deliver a modern campaigning agenda. The idea is to ensure that shooting and the countryside speak with one voice, in order to amplify the power of the message.

Aim to Sustain's key areas of focus

The organisation has three areas upon which it will focus. 

Advocacy - the vital work of communicating the benefits of game shooting to both government and the public, and increasingly important role in a world of misinformation, misunderstanding and fake news. 

Science and research - from setting standards for self-regulation to the promotion of sustainable game shooting. Filling evidence gaps on the environmental impact of releasing gamebirds, quantifying the environmental gain from game management at scale, and monitoring impacts at shoot level will be fundamental to all of Aim to Sustain’s work.

Self-regulation - Aim to Sustain wants to see responsible people shooting on assured premises managed by fit and proper people. Over the coming months the organisation will be consulting on how to further develop self-regulation in game shooting, but the fundamentals are already in place. Underpinned by the Code of Good Shooting Practice, organisations such as BASC, NGO and GWCT offer a suite of qualifications for individual participants in our sector, and Aim to Sustain will be actively encouraging all keepered shoots to register for the appropriate level of BGA assurance.
 

Eoghan Cameron, BASC’s chairman, said: “This is the culmination of months of intense work and represents an unprecedented, powerful and formal coming together of British countryside organisations with a collective interest in shooting, biodiversity and the  environment."

Tim Bonner, CEO CA, said: “We have stood side-by-side with our fellow rural organisations for many years, but by moving closer together into a formal partnership we can achieve even more and secure greater recognition of the great benefits that come from game management and shooting. This is a critical step for game shooting at a critical time.”

Teresa Dent, Chief Executive GWCT, added: “Carefully co-ordinating the colossal effort that goes into game management is a very welcome and exciting commitment. The fact that a thriving shoot has the opportunity to be a wildlife haven is well understood, but this partnership can help ensure that this net gain for biodiversity is maximised.”

At GunsOnPegs we welcome this news. Chris Horne, Managing Director of GunsOnPegs said “I am delighted at this news: It really demonstrates the progress made in our world and the collaborative nature of the organisations in a way that we have never seen before. We have long felt that shooting needs to present a united front, and get on the front foot when it comes to protecting and promoting the way of life that we all value so much.”

Over the next ten weeks Aim to Sustain will be running a public consultation to help shape the future of the organisation. We urge all GunsOnPegs members and shooting enthusiasts to take the five minutes it takes to complete the consultation survey.

Click here to share your views on how Aim to Sustain should proceed.