I READ the remarks from a Yorkshire Water spokeswoman with regard to grouse shooting on the Yorkshire moors (Echo, May 31).

She mentions Yorkshire Water not being in a position to control or prohibit shooting and associated activities, including the use of snares and traps on many areas of its land.

All birds in this country are protected by law, but since 1995 General Shooting Licences laws have fallen into dispute and three have now been revoked.

Shooting communities have wrongly believed that five species (jay, jackdaw, rook, carrion crow and magpie) were “pest species” and they had free rein to kill them at any time and without any specific justification. This is not what the law allows and has led to the casual destruction of millions of birds over the years.

Killing species A because it eats species B is not a reason to wage war on A, unless it is proven to be a serious threat and only then if a specific licence has been issued by the Government.

Flooding the countryside with non native grouse, pheasant and red legged partridge every year, while continually illegally killing native predatory birds and animals, does not lead to good land management or protect wildlife.

Yorkshire Water needs to think long and hard about what it is doing. It needs to challenge the ancient, out-of date shooting rights activities which are not acceptable in these enlightened times.

M Embling, Crook