CUMBRIAN gamekeepers and stalkers have embraced Government plans to scrap archaic laws stopping the sale of game all year round.

Steve Woodall of the Cumbria branch of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, which represents more than 23,000 people, hailed the Whitehall pledge as "briliant news"

"It's a tremendous thing for Cumbria. It opens up a whole new outlet for shooters' quarry. Also numerous restaurants and small game dealers will be able to have game all the time."

Animal Health and Welfare minister Ben Bradshaw said last week that he would review the Game Act 1831 and the Game Licences Act 1860 before the general election after consultation with key interest groups.

"The game laws are archaic and we are going to have to get rid of them," he said "We will launch a formal review of the laws very soon but my inclination is to abolish game licences. I also believe their value as a deterrent to poaching is questionable."

Under the game laws, anyone who shoots game like pheasant, partridge and deer is required to buy a £6 licence and anyone wishing to sell game must buy a separate £4 game dealer's licence, as well as paying a £55 registration fee to the local authority. These fees are on top of the requirement to own a shotgun licence.

By scrapping the licences, selling game would not just be restricted to the shooting season a rule which dates back to the days before widespread refrigeration when MPs wanted game sold only in the season when the quarry was shot for health reasons.

Now, for very different health reasons, Mr Bradshaw said he was keen to promote greater demand for game as a low-fat meat.

"There is a lot of game out there the deer population in the UK is exploding at the moment. Game is very high in protein, low in fat and contains important omega-3 oils. Managing game also makes a massive contribution to our landscape and to biodiversity."

But while there appears to be consensus on the need to review the antiquatated laws and end restrictions on game sales, the Country Land Business Association said it was important some advantages of the Game Acts were not lost.

"The current Game Acts are the only way that a landowner can try to prevent poaching. If this was got rid of wholesale, that would leave a problem for landowners," said CLA president Mark Hudson.

Meanwhile, both the CLA and BASC also said they supported the continuation of closed shooting seasons to conserve bird populations. These are set out in the in the Game Acts but could be retained by amending the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 instead.