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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
James Tapper

Game over for UK shooting season as bird flu and Brexit take a heavy toll

About 70% of partridge shoots and nearly a third of planned pheasant shoots may be cancelled this year
About 70% of partridge shoots and nearly a third of planned pheasant shoots may be cancelled this year. Photograph: Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images

Bird flu has managed to do to game shooting what animal rights activists have been trying to achieve for decades – with a little help from Brexit.

Dozens of pheasant and partridge shoots have been called off ahead of the shooting season after an unprecedented outbreak of avian flu in France left gamekeepers in the UK with few birds to rear.

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