‘Little knife in the rural economy’ as bird shortages mean a number of shoots are being cancelled

Partridge and pheasant drives, which begin in September and October, are now making preparations – such as planting cover to benefit wild birds and other wildlife. They face losing that money if they have to cancel later.

Mr Breitmeyer said: “If we could get the eggs in the country now, people could start the season later. They might be able to get two-thirds of a season.

“But people now have to make decisions and that comes at a cost. You might think they won’t make the expense if they won’t have birds. Some of the shoots in that space have already decided to cancel because they need to draw a line.”

Partridge supply has been hardest hit, according to an analysis by Digby Taylor of Guns On Pegs, the UK’s largest hunting market with more than 100,000 members.

He added that the problems have led to bidding wars for juveniles, which are already being overpriced due to rising gas and wheat costs.

“The Whole Countryside Suffers” due to filming failures

Tim Bonner, chief executive of Countryside Alliance, said: “Shooting contributes billions to the UK economy and is an important lifeline for a host of other businesses, including the hospitality sector.

“Many of the already fragile communities hit by a poor season this year will not have many other sources of income to fall back on. This pain is only exacerbated by the cost of living crisis. If the shooting is affected, the whole landscape suffers.”

The impact will also be felt by pubs, hotels, caterers and land-sports shops – some in areas that rely heavily on shoots during the autumn and winter when tourists disappear.

Anthony Stone, a gunsmith and country clothing retailer who owns Emmett and Stone Country Sports Shop near Marlow, Buckinghamshire, said: “Companies like ours, which deal in products from other country companies, rely on a successful shooting season.

“The difference between a good season and a bad season can be catastrophic. When shooting is negatively impacted, many other companies feel it too.”

Loss of income to meet conservation efforts

It warns that the losses could also impact future conservation efforts, in which game wardens are said to play a central role.

Garry Doolan of Aim to Sustain, a coalition of shooter organisations, said: “Shooting preserves large parts of the landscape and is at the forefront of tackling the biodiversity crisis through habitat creation and species management.

“The shooting community will continue to perform that role whether or not they have partridges and pheasants this season, but the loss of income will inevitably impact future conservation investments.”

A spokesman for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “This has been a particularly challenging year for avian flu as many countries, including France, have seen large outbreaks of this highly contagious disease.

“We are actively talking to the European Commission about changing our import and French export regulations to facilitate trade from restricted zones. We will continue to support our game farming and hunting sectors and will be writing to update them on progress in resolving the egg supply disruption.”