By Claire Marshall
BBC Environment Correspondent
12 August 2016
More than 80,000 people have
signed an online petition calling for a ban on grouse shooting as the season
starts.
Critics argue that the sport is
directly contributing to a rapid fall in the number of hen harriers, an
endangered species of raptors.
The birds prey on red grouse
chicks as part of their diet.
Animal rights activists argue
that gamekeepers who manage the moors where the birds are reared kill hen
harriers to preserve their grouse stocks.
It's thought that there are only
three breeding pairs of hen harriers left in England.
Rural benefits
Countryside groups and the
government say that grouse shooting is a legitimate activity that brings
significant benefits to the rural economy.
They also argue that gamekeeper
management helps other moorland bird species.
They say that by keeping fox
numbers down, other species of birds such as lapwings, curlews and golden
plovers are allowed to flourish.
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