Seasonal jobs and hospitality businesses are at risk due to a “poor grouse season”, an association representing the industry has said.
The Moorland Association has said businesses across the North of England, including in the Forest of Bowland and Pennines, could lose millions in income due to low numbers of red grouse.
The warning comes on the first day of the grouse shooting season – August 12 – and the association said it will come as a blow to bloodsports fans, but also businesses in rural communities which rely on tourists coming to shoot the birds.
The Moorland Association warned many shoot days will be cancelled this year due to poor numbers of grouse, and this could have a devastating knock-on effect.
Grouse are wild birds, meaning breeding is done without human intervention, meaning the industry is entirely in the hands of Mother Nature.
It said rural communities which rely on the 16-week shooting season, such as hotels, pubs, restaurants, game dealers and other industries linked to the season could lose millions in revenue.
Andrew Gilruth, chief executive of the Moorland Association, said: “The coming season is likely to be very poor and the number of shoot days will be curtailed, but it is a timely reminder that the red grouse is a wild bird.
“We can protect and improve its habitat, but there is nothing we can do about the weather.”
The exceptionally wet winter and spring has hit grouse breeding, and it is only when there are large numbers – dubbed a “healthy surplus” by the Moorland Association – that shooting can take place.
Mr Gilruth added: “Despite the poor prospects for shooting, grouse estates across the country will invest more than £50 million in the conservation of the moorlands which benefits not just red grouse but other ground-nesting birds such as the curlew, red grouse, merlin, lapwing and ring ouzel.
“This investment continues regardless of what the season brings.”
As well as hospitality income, other work for rural communities, such as beaters, pickers-up, flankers, and loaders will also lose out on thousands in income due to the problems, with most moors employing 30 to 40 people, and some shooting estates employing 100 people a day.
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