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Wild Justice petition sparks Westminster debate on future of driven grouse shooting in England

Find out why we’re calling for the licensing of grouse shoots as a deterrent against the continued persecution of birds of prey

Posted Fri 4th Jul 2025 5 min read

On Monday 30 June Parliament debated the future of driven grouse shooting in England, and with it the future of vast swathes of our iconic upland landscapes. The debate was triggered by the petition launched by the campaign group Wild Justice, which was signed by over 104,000 people and called for a ban on driven grouse shooting.

Our position on shooting

The RSPB is neutral on the ethics of shooting, and concerned only with preventing the harm caused to wildlife through the management of some grouse shoots. This is why, while we support efforts that bring this important issue into the spotlight, our focus has long been on achieving a system of licensing for grouse shooting. We believe this, rather than an outright ban, is the most pragmatic way to secure a positive outcome for nature.

Licensing would raise environmental standards across the shooting industry and allow responsible shoots to continue to operate, while providing an effective deterrent for those who do harm, or worse, break the law.

Our concerns

We share the concerns of Wild Justice and all who signed the petition about the damaging and often illegal activities associated with the intensive management of land for grouse shooting:

Our latest report ‘Hen Harriers in the firing line’ highlights that there have been 102 confirmed cases of Hen Harrier persecution in the UK in the last five years, and these confirmed cases are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the true scale of this criminal activity, as many incidents happen in remote locations and go unreported. The report highlights that the average life expectancy of a young Hen Harrier in the UK is just 121 days, and that a Hen Harrier is 10 times more likely to die or disappear when on grouse moors. Despite this, there has not been a single conviction for Hen Harrier persecution in England.

More broadly, our latest Birdcrime report reveals that, between 2009-2023, there were 1,529 confirmed bird of prey persecution incidents in the UK involving 1,344 individual birds of prey, including Peregrines, Buzzards and Red Kites, as well as rare and recovering Hen Harriers and White-tailed Eagles. The majority of raptor persecution incidents are associated with land managed for gamebirds, and of all individuals convicted of bird of prey persecution-related offences between 2009 and 2023, 75% were connected to the gamebird shooting industry.

Grouse shooting estates often use burning of peatland vegetation as a land management technique intended to encourage the growth of young heather shoots on which Red Grouse feed. This practice damages the UK’s globally rare peatlands, contributing to climate change by degrading these natural carbon sinks, increasing air pollution and associated health risks, and increasing the risks of flooding for nearby communities.

Research has highlighted the scale of the use of lead shot used in the grouse shooting industry. In 2024/25, 100% of the grouse purchased from UK food retailers, and from which shot could be recovered, had been killed with lead. This is toxic to both wildlife (including birds of prey) and to humans.

And then there are other impacts including the largely unregulated use of veterinary medicines, and the damage caused by the construction of hill tracks and other infrastructure for shoots.

Lone Hen Harrier, flying low over dry grassland. — Hen Harrier

The Westminster debate

While there were some who spoke persuasively during the debate about the need for a robust regulatory framework if grouse shooting is to have a future, many spoke out against the calls for a ban. A wide range of arguments were given, from the socio-economic and cultural value of grouse shooting through to the often beneficial effects of legal predator control for some species of wading birds – most notably Curlews.

Importantly, however, although the concerns raised are arguments against a ban – none of them are arguments against licensing.

Almost all of those who spoke were unanimous in their outright and unequivocal condemnation of the illegal killing of birds of prey. But disappointingly few had suggestions for how this can be meaningfully addressed.

In summing up, Defra Minister Daniel Zeichner repeated the UK Government’s previous statements that they have no plans to ban grouse shooting, but acknowledged the strong opinions on both sides of the debate, and said that the Government would keep options under close review.

Licensing is urgently needed

Based on the growing body of evidence of the unacceptable and often illegal activities associated with grouse shooting, we believe grouse shoots should be licensed in England. Without change, there can be no sustainable future for our uplands.

Licensing has already been introduced in Scotland, and, as pro-shooting and anti-ban MP John Lamont stated during the debate, “that system has its flaws, but works adequately in other respects”.

We’re now calling on the UK Government to take swift action to introduce the licensing of grouse shooting in England, building on, and learning from the experience in Scotland.

Our Hen Harriers and other wildlife can’t wait. Those who operate responsible shoots would have nothing to fear, and much to gain, from a system that would make the unanimous calls for effective action on the illegal persecution of birds of prey a reality.