Liz Roberts, Reporter
Friday 25 July 2014 07:15 PM GMT
Last updated at Friday 25 July 2014 07:17 PM GMT
One of the UK’s top retailers said it won’t stock red grouse in its stores this year.Marks & Spencer said it could not guarantee a responsible source of the game for its stores, after a trial last year.
The company said it wanted to expand the number of outlets selling the bird but was unable to find estates meeting its strict responsible code.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds welcomed the retailer’s decision.
An M&S statement said: “We’ve been working hard over the past few months with estate managers, supported by the RSPB and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust to further develop our industry-leading responsible sourcing code of practice for game suppliers.
“We already make sure that the estates we source from, which are well known to us and are across northern England and the Scottish Borders, protect and enhance natural habitats for a bio-diverse landscape.
“All comply with legislation, of course they do. But for us that’s a bare minimum. We insist that they operate to the industry’s code of good shooting practice and the [Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] codes of practice for the welfare of game birds.
“But to go one step further, we’ve developed and are implementing our own responsible sourcing code for the industry that is truly transformational.
“It needs to provide a high level of protection for habitats in need of conservation and ensure that the estates that comply with the code are recognised as adding value to rural communities.
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