Is it exercise or a leisure and recreation activity?

There is long-standing evidence of the considerable physical and mental health benefits of being outdoors and watching wildlife in the natural world, not least the solace provided during a health pandemic.

A recent survey has revealed the enjoyment and comfort provided by birds during the lockdown restrictions implemented to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic …. see here.

So …. a question arises.

In recent weeks, there has been a lot of discussion on social media regarding the stance taken by the Government and the Police in respect of birdwatching.

Apparently, birdwatching has been deemed unacceptable under current lockdown regulations, the argument being that it is not “permitted exercise” but a “leisure” or “recreation” activity.

However, the national bodies representing fishing and shooting have successfully lobbied the Government and those activities have been deemed as acceptable “exercise”.

Therefore, watching and appreciating wildlife is an illegal activity but hunting and killing wildlife is a legal activity.

It is exercise if you kill something. It is not exercise if you watch something.

It is OK to kill wildlife. It is not OK to enjoy watching wildlife.

This is yet a further example of this Government’s misplaced priorities, not to mention the complete mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic. No wonder the UK is one of the most natured depleted countries in the world and why this Government does nothing to stop the long-standing illegal killing and persecution of wildlife on grouse moors, why it is happy to approve the culling of 160,000 Badgers and ignore the scientific evidence and public opinion, why it is happy to approve the ecological vandalism of HS2, why it is happy to see the opening of a new coal mine in Cumbria, why it is happy to sacrifice RSPB Minsmere through the building of the Sizewell C nuclear power station, why it is happy to see a tunnel built under the ancient site of Stonehenge, why it is happy to consider proposals for a Lower Thames Crossing, why it is happy to see industrial and leisure development on the Graveney and Swanscombe marshes in north Kent …. the list goes on and on and on ....

I fully understand and appreciate why some nature reserves and almost all bird hides are closed. It is immensely frustrating but necessary.

I also understand why it is totally unacceptable to travel outside your local area to watch wildlife .... To see a mockingbird: birdwatchers fined for breaking Covid rules

But how can walking around my local patch sites watching and photographing wildlife not be seen as exercise with physical and mental health benefits whilst at one of my local patch sites (Gloucester Park) I walk past fishermen who sit static at the lake edge for hours on end, quite apart from the anti-social discarding of litter and the discarding of fishing line that is so damaging to wildlife?

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Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature