Significant successes and conspicuous unity

BASC Chairman Eoghan Cameron reflects on a year full of challenges matched with success, and encourages all of shooting’s people to give something back during the new year…

For many, 2021 was a year of mixed fortunes and getting things back on track. At BASC, we can reflect on a great deal of hard work and many challenges – but also significant successes and conspicuous unity with our partner organisations.

The opportunity to remind ourselves of all that we fight for has been something of a blessing in disguise. Since spring, days in the field with gun or rifle have been largely unhindered by restrictions. 

And so, with renewed vigour, we have returned to the sanctuary of our cherished landscapes and rediscovered all that makes our way of life so very precious. Knowing that our members have been able to do so is an enormous source of motivation to the BASC staff, who have worked tirelessly over the past year to address a truly awesome array of issues.

We have beaten off legal challenges to areas from prescribed burning on moorland, to general licences and gamebird release near protected sites. 

Our wealth of expertise and dedicated Fighting Fund continue to give responsible countryside management a powerful voice.

As ever, BASC will continue to represent and fight for sustainable shooting relentlessly in 2022, both at national and regional level. Membership of this great association is a vital and obvious first step sportsmen and women can take towards ensuring success in this realm. 

Of course, a great many in our community also go to enormous personal lengths to defend, promote and improve understanding of fieldsports on a more local basis. 

In truth, though, we all know that most of us could do more. I would therefore urge all members of our community to put something back into shooting in the new year. Get active, engage with the issues and contemplate what you can do personally to help safeguard sustainable shooting, not just for the next three seasons, but for the next three decades.

From all at BASC, I wish you a happy, healthy and sporting 2022.