Colin Shedden, Director Scotland BASC (British Association for Shooting & Conservation)

The speaker was Colin Shedden, Director Scotland BASC (British Association for Shooting & Conservation).

Shooting in the UK is a popular sport with 60,000 people having access to guns. It is also very well regulated. Any suspicion of wrong doing by a gun owner means removal of their guns by the police.

The sport has a considerable effect on the economy with many people employed in the various aspects. A wide variety of game can be shot including rabbits, deer, ducks pheasants and geese.  BASC has 104 staff with their headquarters in Wales. There are 140,000 members.

Currently the Scottish Government wishes to licence air guns. The Association is against this and points out that firearm offences are falling. They consider licensing airguns to be unnecessary and undesirable. Land reform is also under consideration by the Scottish Government. BASC is nervous of what the outcome of these deliberations might be. If sporting estates were taxed this would have a detrimental effect on them.

Training is an important aspect of the Association's work and Colin spends a sizeable proportion of his time on this. Anyone using a snare must have received adequate training and most deer stalkers have received voluntary training. The only place one is allowed to shoot free of charge is on the foreshore.

Colin answered a number of questions and the Club's vote of thanks was given by Ian  Clarkson.

Report by Alan Young