National wild venison standard
- Thread starter 308tikka
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Agreed. I don't think this will change until we have a Gov agency that takes nationwide responsibility for all deer across the whole country.
Without that over-arching role, the problem of everyone dipping in from their corner will continue.
Is that what we really want? I don't think so. Deer management, and the right to shoot deer on your property, or not shoot them, as you choose, and to be able to butcher and sell venison direct to the public, is one of the last bastions of relative freedom in this overregulated country of ours. Let's keep it that way.
Dear god, no!! The last thing we need is a gov agency taking responsibility for deer. Be very, very careful what you wish for!
@VSS @75 - I'm not thinking from a control point of view, ie tags/quotas, but more along the promotion of venison as a healthy, natural nutritious product that candidly is a lot better than a lot of battery-produced chicken et al. Without a concerted and coherent strategy to encourage greater eating of the product how are we to square the circle of the Gov funding deer control under stewardship grants whilst promoting increased tree planting and/or reducing deer numbers across certain habitats, if there is no outlet for the product. I'm currently selling all I can produce but 50% plus of engagements at my market stall are rebuffed along the lines I won't eat Bambi! I try to educate, extol and set venison in context with other meats but frankly, it's a struggle. This needs coherent education and promotion pan-government departments and our national organizations but it's simply not coming. Its 2 years since the FE's Worcester conference and we are no further forward; discussion panels such as that I advised above are not going to solve it.
Agree on a joined up approach and it may just be semantics, but I really disagree with the idea of a "government agency taking nationwide control of deer". If there is an organisation worse placed to solve the UK's deer and venison issues than a Government Agency then I can't think of it!
However, I agreed with the overarching concept of the wild venison std (and had lengthy chats with several involved) on promoting more mainstream use of venison. Not just getting more folk to buy it in the supermarket or at farmers markets but getting some of the big food producers to utilise it. Two examples that were repeatedly quoted were schools and NHS. I'm not sure they are the most realistic organisations to start with, but it gives a good sense of the aims of the scheme. Target the big trade producers not the small retail market.
Where I thought the scheme failed was:
a) we have a perfectly robust system of guidance and legislation in place that is not enforced (has anyone ever been asked for evidence of Food Business Registration when supplying an AGHE?!)
b) it excluded many small producers (myself included) who had thoroughly robust operations in place to ensure venison entering the food chain was of at least as high a standard as that coming in from the big game dealers. And I'd argue that it was probably higher in many cases (having seen how carcasses are collected and transported from larders heaped up in the back of a AGHE van). But I would never be able to achieve the standard so my venison become second tier to the big boys. Ergo, mine is worth less.
devon deer stalker
Well-Known Member
When they did the webinar it was taken over by highland game, somebody should of shut him up as it ran out of time to take many questions at the end, including mine. I emailed David Hooton ( ex deer initiative) but he wanted to chat rather than put it in writing, that spoke volumes to me.
It's still out there, they were talking to my local game dealer Kelly's in Devon recently.
Will I pay to join their scheme?, not a hope in hell, unless us as stalkers get a decent price for all the associated red tape this will bring.
Totally agree
Agreed. As separately advised, I recently briefed all of my councils' EHO Team (12 officers) on Wild Game , stalking, supply of venison and sadly the level of their prior knowledge was staggering low. The presentation was well received and I left with confidence that they were going to be asking some more difficult questions in future. I hasten to add, in a positive manner, that this can only aid small-scale producers trying to expand their business.
This is the nexus as I see it. Whilst there is undoubtedly a volume argument for the BQWV scheme as currently configured, I too share the concern that my products will be seen as inferior when they are not. Having worked as a stalker for one of our "premier" suppliers of venison I know mine is better handled and arguably safer! I'd argue that without the assistance of all of the small-scale producers, increasing venison demand and supply is simply not going to happen. We are integral to solving this issue.
You'll pay to join .
But highland game already said you won't fit anymore pr9ce for your extea efforts or money for joining the scheme
So what's the f*&king point other than line somebody else's pockets ?
Call me cynical
Those who quoting won't eat that it's bambi etc !! That's sign of ill educated public who quite happy to stuff their face with £4 chicken or usual ultra processed crap!
Just a sign of times and folk who are so far removed from food and it's origins
I'd hazard a guess you'll do more at a market stall in terms of educating than any quango that you pay to join will
How many of public buy purely because an item has red tractor on it ?..... more likely because of ££££ and how cheap it is
Paul
But highland game already said you won't fit anymore pr9ce for your extea efforts or money for joining the scheme
So what's the f*&king point other than line somebody else's pockets ?
Call me cynical
Those who quoting won't eat that it's bambi etc !! That's sign of ill educated public who quite happy to stuff their face with £4 chicken or usual ultra processed crap!
Just a sign of times and folk who are so far removed from food and it's origins
I'd hazard a guess you'll do more at a market stall in terms of educating than any quango that you pay to join will
How many of public buy purely because an item has red tractor on it ?..... more likely because of ££££ and how cheap it is
Paul
What I wish for is for populations of the different species to be managed appropriately around the country, so that there are healthy deer in numbers and densities that result in largely beneficial impacts and few significantly negative impacts.
In the landholdings that I have worked on in southern England over the last 30+ years, typically roe are over-shot & plenty of holdings would benefit from more roe. Where fallow are present, they are typically not shot enough/appropriately. Similarly muntjac.
Personally, I believe that the freedom for deer to be shot, or not, as the landowner/stalker chooses is the biggest contributor to poor landscape management of deer.
The issues for the species differ around the country, so appropriate management needs to be viewed on a regional/landscape character area basis. But where we have, for example, problem numbers of fallow, something needs to change.
‘Everyone’ is talking about it and some come up with ideas. The BQWV being an idea to unclog the downstream end of the problem.
But there is no one taking an over-arching view for deer or venison in England. Defra have decided to leave their role in the hands of the FC – so effectively, that covers woodland only. BDS is ostensibly interested in the welfare of deer, yet sends out mixed messages in their media, including an article by Dominic Griffith a few years ago in their mag Deer, that effectively said that it’s all too difficult to deal with the fallow problem, so let’s just accept it and love the deer. (That’s not really putting their welfare anywhere near the top of the agenda.) BASC is obviously not focussed just on deer. Etc. There is no organization that has the management of the country’s deer as its sole purpose and this lack is to the detriment of our deer and environment.
For my wish to come true, the only way forward that I can see is if we have an over-arching Government responsibility set out for the country’s deer. If others come up with their solutions, then great – but this is mine.
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