Following sabotage actions from the Animal & Grouse Liberation Front (ALF/GLF) prior to the shooting season, which is due to start on the 12th August, organisers of the cruel shoot on Ilkley Moor, The Bingley Moor Partnership, has said there will be no shooting for at least two years because of a shortage of grouse 'stocks'.
Spokesman for the Moorland Association, Amanda Anderson, said that a lot of the equipment damaged by activists this month was not all related to the grouse shoot.
Instead, pens and traps owned by the association, which are used to kill other wildlife on Binkley and High moor were also sabotaged by the ALF, resulting in much more damage.
She said that pens for breeding birds other than grouse were damaged, such as partridges, while traps were destroyed intended for the killing of weasels, stoats and mink.
The use of direct action to oppose the shoot was also promised last month by the West Yorkshire Hunt Saboteurs, who say they will disrupt and end the shoot if it ever goes ahead.
Spokesman Luke Steele said: “The grouse shooting industry is cruel, unnecessary and only carried out for entertainment. Birds are scared out of the undergrowth then shot out of the sky. Many are still alive when they hit the floor.
“And who would want to go to a shoot that will be stopped by anti-bloodsports activists?”
Furthermore, the shoot has also been criticised and condemned by the The League Against Cruel Sports (LACS), West Yorkshire Animals in Need (WYAN) and Green Party Councillors, Kevin Warnes and Martin Love.
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SABOTAGE LIST
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anonymous report:
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/07/404360.html 20th July
"Up around High Moor, Ilkley, activists located two small grouse pens which were put out of use. The contents of the pens were destroyed. A fen trap was found nearby and also destroyed. Along the moor a line of stone grouse butts were toppled, and wooden butts smashed. Into the High Moor woodland, and a large pheasant pen was found, the walls were brought down and two traps tampered with, water pipes were cut and other items left broken. Feeders were also attended to.
This action is dedicated to the Austrian prisoners.
Animal Liberation Front"
==================
received anonymously: http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/07/404086.html 18th July
"Up in the White Crag plantation off Ilkley moor. A large grouse pen was identified and trashed, the water pipes and distributors were left split and smashed. The wire fencing from the entire enclosure was brought down. The electric fencing was cut and the system destroyed. Two set fen traps were discovered and placed permanently out of commission.
Two smaller pens were found nearby and the netting roof and wire surrounds were left in tatters. Feeders in the area were also tampered with.
Grouse Liberation Front"
==================
received anonymously: http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/07/402813.html 4th July
"Bradford Council has recently agreed a contract to allow the unacceptable shooting of grouse on the public land of Ilkley moor, West Yorkshire. This agreement has been made with Edward Bromet of the Bingley moor partnership that currently manages shoots on the Bingley and Burley moors.
Activists investigated coverts in the Bingley moor area, and in the first woodland found a number of snares in a region of rough fencing with gaps for channeling animals. Within this compound an artificial earth was uncovered next to the grouse pen, there were no foxes evident in the area, and the grouse pen was empty, however, this sturdy structure did not take long to be completely demolished.
In the next covert a larsen trap was discovered and destroyed, further along a trap that looked to be used for rats or small mammals was discovered and also dismantled.
In the next covert more snares were found and destroyed,
This action is dedicated to Judge Ross.
End the Ilkley moor shoot.
Animal Liberation Front"
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COMMUNIQUE LINKS
==================
Austrian Prisoners http://www.austriasolidarity.com
Judge Ross http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/06/400335.html
==================
EXTRA INFORMATION
==================
Ilkley Moor Grouse Shoot - Update & Action Alert >>>
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/07/403056.html
English Nature - Backing Bloodsports >>> http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/07/402332.html
Stop Grouse Shooting on Ilkley Moor >>> http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/396039.html
West Yorkshire Hunt Sabs Launched >>> http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/06/401340.html
http://www.westyorkshirehuntsabs.wordpress.com
Animal Liberation Front >>>
http://www.animalliberationfront.com
Sources: Telegraph & Argus
Activists ‘trash grouse pens’, 24th July
Grouse shoot go-ahead under fire, 25th June
Instead, pens and traps owned by the association, which are used to kill other wildlife on Binkley and High moor were also sabotaged by the ALF, resulting in much more damage.
She said that pens for breeding birds other than grouse were damaged, such as partridges, while traps were destroyed intended for the killing of weasels, stoats and mink.
The use of direct action to oppose the shoot was also promised last month by the West Yorkshire Hunt Saboteurs, who say they will disrupt and end the shoot if it ever goes ahead.
Spokesman Luke Steele said: “The grouse shooting industry is cruel, unnecessary and only carried out for entertainment. Birds are scared out of the undergrowth then shot out of the sky. Many are still alive when they hit the floor.
“And who would want to go to a shoot that will be stopped by anti-bloodsports activists?”
Furthermore, the shoot has also been criticised and condemned by the The League Against Cruel Sports (LACS), West Yorkshire Animals in Need (WYAN) and Green Party Councillors, Kevin Warnes and Martin Love.
==================
SABOTAGE LIST
==================
anonymous report:
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/07/404360.html 20th July "Up around High Moor, Ilkley, activists located two small grouse pens which were put out of use. The contents of the pens were destroyed. A fen trap was found nearby and also destroyed. Along the moor a line of stone grouse butts were toppled, and wooden butts smashed. Into the High Moor woodland, and a large pheasant pen was found, the walls were brought down and two traps tampered with, water pipes were cut and other items left broken. Feeders were also attended to.
This action is dedicated to the Austrian prisoners.
Animal Liberation Front"
==================
received anonymously:
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/07/404086.html 18th July "Up in the White Crag plantation off Ilkley moor. A large grouse pen was identified and trashed, the water pipes and distributors were left split and smashed. The wire fencing from the entire enclosure was brought down. The electric fencing was cut and the system destroyed. Two set fen traps were discovered and placed permanently out of commission.
Two smaller pens were found nearby and the netting roof and wire surrounds were left in tatters. Feeders in the area were also tampered with.
Grouse Liberation Front"
==================
received anonymously:
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/07/402813.html 4th July "Bradford Council has recently agreed a contract to allow the unacceptable shooting of grouse on the public land of Ilkley moor, West Yorkshire. This agreement has been made with Edward Bromet of the Bingley moor partnership that currently manages shoots on the Bingley and Burley moors.
Activists investigated coverts in the Bingley moor area, and in the first woodland found a number of snares in a region of rough fencing with gaps for channeling animals. Within this compound an artificial earth was uncovered next to the grouse pen, there were no foxes evident in the area, and the grouse pen was empty, however, this sturdy structure did not take long to be completely demolished.
In the next covert a larsen trap was discovered and destroyed, further along a trap that looked to be used for rats or small mammals was discovered and also dismantled.
In the next covert more snares were found and destroyed,
This action is dedicated to Judge Ross.
End the Ilkley moor shoot.
Animal Liberation Front"
==================
COMMUNIQUE LINKS
==================
Austrian Prisoners
http://www.austriasolidarity.com Judge Ross
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/06/400335.html ==================
EXTRA INFORMATION
==================
Ilkley Moor Grouse Shoot - Update & Action Alert >>>
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/07/403056.html English Nature - Backing Bloodsports >>>
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/07/402332.html Stop Grouse Shooting on Ilkley Moor >>>
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/396039.html West Yorkshire Hunt Sabs Launched >>>
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/06/401340.html http://www.westyorkshirehuntsabs.wordpress.com Animal Liberation Front >>>
http://www.animalliberationfront.com Sources: Telegraph & Argus
Activists ‘trash grouse pens’, 24th July
Grouse shoot go-ahead under fire, 25th June
