Having just read my copy of the BDS magazine "Deer" and it looks like we British stalkers and game shooters are about to be subject yet more red tape from Europe.

For those who don't recieve the magazine, it concerns the latest update to the EU Food Hygiene Regulations which are due to come into effect in the UK in early 2006.

Basically anybody who wishes to sell game to a dealer on a regular basis, be it a syndicate or an individual, will have to have the game (both fur and feather) inspected by a "Trained Hunter" first.

LANTRA, the Food Standards Agency, FACE(UK) and a few other interested parties are still working out exactly what this will involve and how the training is going to be delivered.

I spoke to a woman at LANTRA this morning who advised that all the bodies concerned agreed that nither the current present DMQ Level 2 nor the Deer Management/Gamekeeping NVQ Level 2 would probably not meet the criteria set down by the EU, but she anticipated that people who held those qualifications would probably only need a half day or one days additional training and assesment and that she expected both qualifications would be revised to reflect this new legislation in the future.

There are going to be exemptions to this new legislation if the person is only selling a very small amount of game but she was expecting that it would be applicable to most syndicates and stalkers.

Nothing has been finalised, but she said they were hoping to get a concensus by Feb 2005 so that training could take place before the introduction of the legislation in 2006.

Regards,

Pete

Pete,

In practice any large game dealer (as opposed to butcher) is going to have to have all plucks which will be inspected by a vet. Most vets will not pass fit unless they have seen the pluck.

It might be an irritant for someone who sells to small butchers who have a game dealers licence but for someone like me who wants best price on Roe I have to use a big dealer who exports to get the �1.50 or so per Kg.