Labour MP shoots first pheasants

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By Alex Flint

Thursday, 13 November 2008

Labour’s backbench spokesman for shooting and fishing, Martin Salter MP, shot his first brace of pheasant in November.

Mr Salter, Member of Parliament for Reading West, has long been a supporter of shooting for its social and economic benefits, but this was the first time he had been game shooting.

The birds were taken while Mr Salter was out rough shooting in Berkshire with Mike Robinson, the restaurateur, television chef and member of the BASC council.

Mr Salter said: “I really enjoyed my day’s shooting with Mike Robinson and my colleagues from BASC in the beautiful Berkshire countryside.

“Rough shooting is much harder than it looks, but it was good fun and helped me learn about the sport.”

Mike Robinson said: “As a chef and because of my work with BASC I’m always keen to promote the eating of game.

"It’s a much underrated and underused food source and the more we can publicise the benefits of eating game, as well as maintaining a healthier balance to wildlife, the better.”

November saw another successful National Taste of Game week, and Mr Salter offered his support to the campaign and the industry as a whole: “Shooting live quarry is totally justified as the products end up on the table or in the shops as food.

“There is no doubt that the British countryside benefits from having land managed for shooting rather than denuded of all cover by intensive farming.”