BASC has written to Dame Angela Eagle MP following her appointment as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
In the letter, BASC vice chair Claire Sadler welcomed Dame Angela to the role and outlined how sustainable shooting contributes to Defra’s priorities, including woodland creation, habitat restoration, biodiversity gains and the protection of rural livelihoods.
BASC also raised the disruption to this year’s game season caused by Natural England’s approach to gamebird release licensing. The intervention follows the recent High Court judgment which found that the regulator had acted outside its powers.
The association has requested an early meeting with the new secretary of state to discuss the uncertainty facing the shooting sector and other areas in which it hopes to work with Defra.
BASC director of public affairs Jak Abrahams said: “We welcome Dame Angela Eagle to her new role.
“We look forward to building a strong and constructive working relationship with her and her team as we work towards a vibrant and thriving countryside where sustainable shooting continues to drive nature recovery, support rural jobs and deliver for the wider rural economy.
“There are pressing issues on which we are keen to engage early on, not least the uncertainty Natural England has caused on our sector and we have asked to meet the Secretary of State at the earliest opportunity.”