A petition to limit woodcock shooting in the UK has been signed by hundreds of Ceredigion residents.

But the issue has divided opinion among Cambrian News readers, with letters voicing opposing views on the matter.

The petition entitled ‘limit the shooting season of woodcock’ has been signed by 335 people in Ceredigion and more than 100,000 across the country - passing the threshold at which the matter must be debated in Parliament.

Ciliau Aeron resident Darren Grimsell was one of those highly critical of people who shoot woodcock during the winter despite their population being in decline, accusing them of ‘psychological inadequacy’.

But Trefenter wildlife conservationist and woodcock expert Owen Williams said game shooting has an insignificant effect on woodcock populations, with declining biodiversity and the poor health of British woodland much more responsible.

The petition to the UK Parliament was submitted by TV naturalist Chris Packham, conservationist Ruth Tingay and environmental campaigner Mark Avery.

It reads: “We want the opening of the Woodcock shooting season to be pushed back to 1 December.

“160,000 Woodcock are shot for fun across the UK whilst their population is declining. The Environment Secretary has powers to vary the shooting season.

“(Charity) Wild Justice wrote to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Northern Ireland authorities in March asking that the Woodcock open season should start on 1 December instead of 1 October (England, Wales & Northern Ireland, or 1 September, Scotland). (Read the letter here: https://wildjustice.org.uk/woodcock/we-ask-for-changes-to-the-woodcock-shooting-season/).

“No substantive response has been received. This simple conservation measure is supported by science, and some shooters, and requires no new legislation for implementation.”

Mr Grimsell, in support of the petition, told the Cambrian News: “Many of us enjoy feeding the birds in our gardens. This is because we are concerned about them and would like to see them thrive.

“The very last thing most people would want to do is harm any of the birds, and we would be saddened if we knew that they had been injured or had died.

“Yet, there are a minority of people who (bizarrely) seem to get pleasure from shooting and killing birds for so-called sport.”

Mr Williams in response said: “I feed birds in my garden and I have also shot woodcock for the table. In recent years I have worked with the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) ringing and tagging woodcock so that we can learn more about the population dynamics of the species.

“… purely from a conservation perspective, experts on the woodcock conclude that shooting in these areas has an insignificant impact on the species.

“Recent research by GWCT has also pointed to several drivers other than shooting that are causing the decline in our resident breeding woodcock where they occur. Probably the most significant after climate change is the poor state of our woodland which has declined in quality...

“It is worth noting that some of the best remaining examples of proper woodland management in the UK happen on shooting estates, as has been recognised by … conservation NGOs.

“Within 10 miles of Aberystwyth there are several examples of shoots that since the late 60’s have also planted large areas of woodland for game and wintering woodcock from which they take a sustainable harvest each winter.”