Shooting pays for heather-clad hills
Our and others’ peer-reviewed research clearly indicates that shooting grouse is a key incentive for maintaining the moors that attract tourists, produce our breakfast heather honey, provide a breeding refuge for internationally red-listed curlews and store more carbon when the heather and mosses are actively growing after controlled fire. Sustaining such moorland needs active management which must be paid for in some way. What better than to harness the self-interest of those who wish to shoot grouse so that we can all enjoy heather-clad hills for many more years?
Dr Adam Smith, director, Scotland, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, Scone