Under lockdown rules, Ollie Williams can take his daily recreational exercise with dogs and a shotgun. He walks around the family farm on the lookout for pheasants and - what he really wants to shoot - grey squirrels. ▶ For Ollie's sporting agency, visit http://CornishSportingAgency.com/ ▶ For more films with Ollie, visit http://Fcha.nl/category/films-with-some-of-our-best-know-faces/ollie-williams/ or his own YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_iD_6Vg1vrEiD5_WMFsrFQ ▶ Join the Fieldsports Nation and fund our fight for fieldsports in the media http://Fcha.nl/offer - for our Christmas membership offer http://Fcha.nl/fieldsportsnation - for full details To become a more structural shareholder, visit http://fieldsports.envestry.com ▶ Sign up for our weekly email newsletter http://Fcha.nl/register ▶ To watch all of FieldsportsBritain, episode 582, visit http://Fcha.nl/fieldsportsbritain582 ▶ Fieldsports Shop http://fieldsports.shop Why shoot game birds? Game is wild, natural and free range, and it is one of the healthiest meats available today. It is low in cholesterol and high in protein. Results from research commissioned by the Game-to-Eat campaign (Leatherhead Food International Research 2006) suggest that there are real health benefits to eating game. Both pheasant and partridge contain high levels of iron, protein, vitamin B(6) and selenium, which helps to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. In addition to the nutritional benefits of game, game shooting is worth £2 billion annually to the rural economy and supports 74,000 jobs. There are 480,000 (UK government figures) active game shooters in the UK who enjoy bird shooting under the principles of the Code of Good Shooting Practice. More than 2 million hectares are actively managed for shooting in the UK creating proven (PACEC, 2014) conservation benefits and preserving important habitats for a diverse range of flora and fauna, in particular farmland birds. UK shooting providers spend £5.4 million on cover crop seeds every year and maintain over 25,000ha of wild-bird cover. Why shoot grey squirrels? Grey squirrels are invasive pests, not native to the UK. They impact on our native wildlife, raiding nests to prey on eggs and fledglings, and they are responsible for the decline in native red squirrel numbers, likely because they carry but are immune to the parapox virus, which is fatal to red squirrels . The Wildlife Trusts estimate there are only around 140,000 native red squirrels left in the UK, compared to 2.5 million grey squirrels. Grey squirrels cause damage to trees such as beech, oak, sycamore and chestnut. They strip bark at the base of trees which causes them to weaken and eventually to die. The UK Forestry Commission estimates grey squirrels causes £6-10 million damage to British forestry per year. Grey squirrels have been known to damage houses and buildings by chewing on woodwork, insulation and electrical wires. They can also contaminate cold water tanks with urine and droppings. It has been illegal to keep grey squirrels (without a licence) since 1937, and it is illegal to release them into the wild. Grey squirrels’ predators include stoats, goshawks and foxes, leaving gamekeepers, foresters and airgunners to do the main job of eradicating them. A coalition of airgunners across Anglesey successfully removed grey squirrels from the island. Other groups in Cumbria and Cornwall aim to do the same, with support from the government and private enterprise. We’re proud to promote enjoyment of fieldsports and the countryside. There are three guiding principles to everything we do on Fieldsports Channel: ▶ Shoot responsibly ▶ Respect the quarry ▶ Ensure a humane, clean and quick kill Take part in nature. Join the Fieldsports Nation https://Fcha.nl/fieldsportsnation Risk warning: investments of this nature carry risks to your capital as well as potential rewards. Approved as a financial promotion by Envestors Limited. Which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (No. 07236828.)