Martin Harper has unexpectedly backed pheasant shooting, causing outrage among the group's supporters . As Britain’s leading bird charity, you might expect the RSPB to oppose pheasant shooting. But one of its bosses has unexpectedly backed the practice, causing outrage among supporters of the group. Some threatened to cancel their membership while others spoke of their ‘disappointment’. The row began when Martin Harper, conservation director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, wrote a blog saying the charity supported ‘progressive’ shoots  as they were good for the countryside. Mr Harper wrote: ‘Yes, we condemn wildlife crime including any persecution of protected birds of prey. ‘And yes, we continue to work with the police to end illegal killing which remains prevalent in the uplands, threatening the future of hen harrier, and still occurs on some lowland estates. ‘But, the contribution progressive shoots can make to supporting threatened wildlife is significant, and we are delighted to help them further.’ Defending his view on the topic, Mr Harper went on to write: ‘This isn’t a contradiction. We simply do whatever nature needs and will work with anyone that wants to help wildlife.’ He added that pheasant shoots were responsible for creating or maintaining 7,000 hectares of hedgerows. Twitter users reacted angrily, with one writing: ‘After 30+ years, I think it’s time to cancel our membership!! #itsall-aboutmoney.’ Lee Clements wrote: ‘Very disappointed to learn that @Natures_Voice “has always been neutral on the ethics of shooting birds.”’ But the British Association for Shooting and Conservation praised the RSPB for putting ‘long-term conservation goals before short-term politicised campaigning’. In 2008, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) estimated that 40 million gamebirds were bred to be shot each year in Britain. The figure includes pheasants and partridges and is now believed to be higher still. The RSPB estimates the total to be 50million. In a report on the industry released in 2008, Defra stated that they had welfare concerns surrounding the shooting of game. The report addresses the ‘extent and duration of confinement of semi-wild species, sometimes within systems offering a barren, restricting environment.’ The RSPB boss said that pheasant shoots were responsible for creating or maintaining 7,000 hectares of hedgerows. But Twitter users reacted angrily to the comments . You do not need a licence to hunt pheasants or grouse in the UK but a firearms or shotgun certificate is required. The pheasant shooting season runs from October to February each year. It is illegal to shoot the birds outside of that time frame. In an interview with The Observer, Mr Harper added that is was too simplistic to say that the RSPB is ‘anti-shooting’. He said: ‘It’s more sophisticated than that. We are ready to work with landowners and farmers to look after farmland wildlife. ‘We are not an animal welfare organisation. Our primary interest is stopping common species becoming rare.’ Spokesman Simon Clarke told The Observer: ‘When organisations are prepared to put evidence before opinion and long-term conservation goals before short-term politicised campaigning, then there is much common ground to be found.’ Stuart Housden, a director at the RSPB, said: ‘This is what we have been saying for a hundred years. There is nothing new. ‘The RSPB was set up 1904 and has been consistently neutral on the ethics of field sports. We are not allowed to be in support of field sports, nor are we allowed to be against them. ‘We are always firm on wildlife crimes and other bad practises such as the destruction of wildlife habitats. We will condemn bad practice and if it is illegal practice we are very effective in combating it. ‘What we are simply saying is that there are people who are doing some good things and what we are trying to do is give praise where it is due and criticise those who do bad things. ‘Sixty per cent of UK wildlife is in decline. Nature needs friends who will invest in wildlife in a sensitive and thoughtful way. ‘We would like to see more people go the extra mile to give nature a home on their farms.’
Martin Harper said ‘progressive’ shoots were good for the countryside . Said pheasant shoots created or maintained 7,000 hectares of hedgerows . Twitter users reacted angrily, with many threatening to cancel membership . Conservation group praised RSPB for putting ‘long-term conservation goals before short-term politicised campaigning’