The Manx Game Preservation Society has claimed accusations against shooting by wildlife charities lack sufficient evidence and encourage political point scoring.

Manx Wildlife Trust and Manx Birdlife, along with MLC Bill Henderson, criticised a proposal from Environment Minister Geoffrey Boot to expand the hunting season for grey partridge in the island.

That proposal, which appeared on the Tynwald order paper, but was not moved by Mr Boot, would also have made it easier for farmers and landowners to import grey partridges for the purposes of hunting them. A statement from MGPS said: ’Reopening the season, which was permanently closed in the 1990s following a serious decline in population, would allow an extra incentive for farmers to conserve the species, and release programmes to be initiated.’

The society also said the objections to the proposals by the two charities ’may play well’ with their members but ’do you little credit as thoughtful and knowledgeable organisations’.

Alan Jackson, MGPS chairman, added: ’Shooters are on the same side as conservationists, there is no need for the politicising and emotional publicity.

’It is our wish to see a thriving and vibrant biodiversity with as many species and abundance as possible.

’We believe that opening the grey partridge season will help the species flourish. We will continue our work towards conserving this species.’

When the Courier first brought our readers the news that Mr Boot wanted to encourage grey partridge hunting on the island, it was met with hostility both online and in the Examiner’s and Manx Independent’s opinions pages.

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