This year's grouse season could help buffer some remote rural communities and households from the deepening cost-of-living crisis.
That is the view of Alex Hogg, chairman of the Perth-based Scottish Gamekeepers Association, who is hoping for some respite for rural businesses enduring rising petrol and energy costs.
Scotland’s grouse shooting season begins tomorrow, and after successive years of poor breeding on the moors, there has been an uplift in some regions this year.
Large surpluses of birds to harvest are not forecast, but gamekeepers expect visitors to return to the uplands of the Highlands, Perthshire, Angus and the Lammermuirs again.
That revenue boost will be important against the backdrop of a looming recession, but also comes at a time when Avian flu looks set to curb the 2022 pheasant and partridge seasons.
A number of UK shoots have been impacted by supply issues caused by bird flu outbreaks in the Loire region of France, where many young birds are sourced for low ground shoots, which will begin later, in September and October.
“In a stable year, grouse shooting brings over £30m to remote communities in a short window, helping a range of spin-off small businesses at a quiet time after the summer holidays,” said Hogg.
“We are not looking at consistently good grouse numbers nationally, but at a time when grouse shoots have been continuing to invest and getting no income back, we should be grateful for the coming season.
“The return of visitors spending money is also equally important for local businesses, as their operational costs are going up all the time, with inflation.”
Grouse shooting is part of a game sector which brings nearly £300m annually to Scotland’s economy.
The industry association stated that game shooting and angling sustain more full-time direct jobs (4,400) than all of Scotland’s large conservation charities combined (2,204).
However, Avian flu is set to limit the pheasant and partridge seasons, with potential impacts on some rural jobs.
Hogg commented: “I know of some part-time gamekeepers around me, in the Scottish Borders, who will not be able to host shoots at all this year because they were reliant on poults being imported from overseas.
“Some are turning their hand to other things and hoping to source birds for the 2023 season, but it is worrying and we hope to be able to sit down with shooting bodies, game farmers, vets and respective UK governments to look at future contingencies.”
While Hogg acknowledged that some people oppose game shooting, he believes gamekeepers, river and land ghillies and deer managers are helping to meet Scottish Government's environmental and biodiversity aspirations.
“As well as the work that pays the bills, our members are helping restore peatlands, are managing non-native invasive species, humanely controlling deer populations, planting and managing woodlands and creating wetlands.
“These activities, and many others, are helping Scottish Government reach towards its targets and this skill and local knowledge resource is an irreplaceable asset to Scotland.”
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