The falling price of traditional products of Dales farming such as wool, lamb, beef and milk, mean that farmers are being asked to diversify. Easier said than done of course. One option is to rear pheasants for shooting, but this risks attack from anti blood sport groups. It could be argued that more pheasants die on the road than by shooting, so should cars be banned? Foxes kill pheasants, but should fox hunting be banned? Is it more cruel to shoot a pheasant that's lived it's life in the wild or wring a chickens neck that's been kept in captivity? If shooting is banned should fishing be banned? If shooting is banned how will the rabbit population be kept in check? Will poisoning or spreading man made diseases like myxomatosis be any kinder? Answers enclosing a self addressed postcard please! |
