Working for wildfowling

When I first joined BASC as its conservation officer, most of my time was spent helping wildfowling clubs with the renewal of Crown Estate shooting leases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They were formative years, two decades ago, travelling to many a marsh and having the ethos of BASC instilled in me by key players in the association and its affiliated wildfowling clubs. For a while I was secretary of Dee Wildfowlers & Wetland Management Club and learned first-hand the time, commitment and challenges involved in volunteering for a club committee. 

BASC covers all target and live quarry shooting disciplines and it is wildfowling and wildfowlers that continue to play a key role in guiding its mission to provide an effective and unified voice for sustainable shooting. 

It was the creation of wildfowling clubs that led to the growth of WAGBI and subsequently BASC. Most of these clubs have been in the front line facing the imposition of irrational and unwarranted red tape. I believe that many club committee members still spend more hours on paperwork than hunting ducks and geese. BASC staff continue to help clubs navigate the shifting sands of conservation legislation. 

There have been successes and failures along the way and relations between some clubs and BASC have been thorny at times. The strategic guidance and constructive criticism provided by BASC Council’s wildfowling liaison committee continues to play an important mediating role for everyone involved. 

Comparing past with present, the BASC advice available to individuals and clubs has never been better, with a dedicated wildfowl and wetlands team, underpinned by support from scientists and lawyers. At every level I see BASC providing a professional service to wildfowling, particularly its efforts at a national level to influence legislation and its implementation. 

If you are a member of a wildfowling club, your immediate concern will naturally be what BASC has done, or is doing, for you. Your wildfowling opportunities ahead most likely depend on the time and commitment of your club committee and the input of BASC’s land management and consenting team, which is headed by Sarah Pinnell. 

I had a chat with Sarah about the team’s current workload ahead of the 2025-26 wildfowling season. “The team works with affiliated clubs and the Crown Estate, updating and reviewing management plans and facilitating lease renewals, and supporting those seeking new sporting rights leases,” she said. 

“We assist clubs and members with their consent and licence renewals in time for the start of each season and we are currently supporting more than 34 consent and licence submissions. 

“There are ongoing difficulties due to the inconsistent and overly precautionary approach by government agencies for wildfowling consents and licences. We are working hard to get the best possible outcome for every club and member.” 

Key ammunition 

Better bag data will be key ammunition for the battles ahead. On the foreshore we have a lot of information, but it is important that we improve our knowledge of what is happening inland. 

With that in mind I would encourage everyone to visit the BASC website to read the latest Sustainable Shooting Code of Practice for Wildfowl Quarry Species. This is relevant to shooting on farmland, woodland and uplands, not only coastal marshes and estuaries. The code contains suggestions on targeted data collection and many other considerations that we should all be aware of and, where relevant, act upon. 

There are 140 BASC-affiliated wildfowling clubs and they manage hundreds of miles of foreshore and marshes. Whether we shoot on the coast or inland, we all have a part to play in ensuring that the shooting of our quarry species of ducks, geese, waders and rails is sustainable. 

Within this context, sustainable shooting respects quarry species and seeks to conserve and improve the environment. It avoids excessive consumption, complies with the law, improves the health and wellbeing of participants, and provides food and economic benefits to the wider community.