Letter: Shooting row

ROSS Montague of the Countryside Alliance (Letters, 3 August) refers to an oft-quoted "independent" report stating the value of shooting to the economy to be at least £240 million.

The 2006 PACEC Report to which he refers was commisioned by the Countryside Alliance, the Country Land and Business Association, the British Association of Shooting and Conservation, in consultation with the Game and Conservancy Trust. In 2005, the Countryside Alliance stated on its website that questionnaires for this would be sent out to shooters and that the project "will be vital in our ongoing campaign to promote and protect shooting".

These responses from a comparatively small group were collated to create the report, from which the figure of 240m has so widely been quoted. This report was supposedly validated by being peer reviewed by an emeritus professor, but expert opinion of one person has since been recognised as unreliable.

There is no costing of the loss to the nation of the uplifting of spirits from watching wildlife when so much is slaughtered, snared or poisoned to increase profits for shooting estates. The only glory associated with shooting is related to those brave enough to serve their country.

CAROLINE McMANUS

Newmills Road

Balerno, Edinburgh