The UK Government has confirmed that it will extend the ban on heather and grass burning on deep peat from 30 September, following a consultation held earlier this year. The new restrictions expand protections by redefining deep peat from 40cm to 30cm and increasing the area covered by the ban from 220,000 hectares to 676,628 hectares.
Industry bodies and moorland managers have criticised the decision, arguing that the consultation overlooked scientific evidence in favour of a predetermined outcome. They maintain that controlled burning remains an essential management tool for preventing wildfires, supporting biodiversity and enabling sustainable moorland use.
For the UK shooting trade, the consequences could be significant. Much of the upland moorland affected by the restrictions is home to grouse shooting, which underpins local economies and supports businesses across the firearms and countryside sectors. A decline in grouse numbers, coupled with a reduced ability to manage land effectively, risks undermining rural employment and reducing the demand for associated goods and services. Retailers, distributors and manufacturers supplying clothing, firearms, ammunition and equipment into the grouse shooting market may all feel the effects.
Recent wildfires in unmanaged peatland areas have added weight to industry concerns. Critics argue that while the government claims the ban will help restore and re-wet peatlands, unmanaged vegetation increases wildfire risk and may in fact result in greater environmental damage. The Future Landscapes Forum, a group of academics and moorland experts, has warned that current policy is being shaped without a proper evidence base, and that controlled burning can play a positive role in carbon capture and habitat management.
With upland shooting already facing political and regulatory challenges, this latest measure represents an additional pressure point. Trade stakeholders will be watching closely to assess the impact on moorland shoots, their associated communities and the broader supply chain that depends on a thriving rural shooting economy.