Shooting birds

Alistair Robertson’s column (8 August) continues to peddle two myths which play well to the shooting lobby.

The first is that the RSPB is 
anti-shooting, which it is not. The proof is enshrined in its charter but it is opposed to the illegal persecution of birds of prey on shooting estates.

The second is that “the persecution of raptors does not happen everywhere” but hen harriers are ruthlessly exterminated on driven grouse moors right across Scotland. This is why so many people turned out to support Hen Harrier Day on Sunday at several events across the UK, including one at Loch Turret near Crieff in Perthshire.

To add to Mr Robertson’s woes, Marks & Spencer has just decided not to sell grouse again this year because of its concerns around its own responsible sourcing code and the warning from the Food Standard Agency around the health risks of ingesting poisonous lead shot.

Logan D Steele

Bridgewater Avenue

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