Overview of New Firearms Licensing Code - Republic of Ireland 
25th March 2008 

Deer Stalking Certificate Level 1 Training Course
21st March 2008 

Countryside Alliance Ireland is pleased to announce that the British Deer Society is holding a Level 1 Deer Stalking Training Course on the 7th and 8th and the 14th and 15th of June 2008 at Colebrooke Northern Ireland. The course is based on four days instruction, which includes all assessments and offering successful students the DSC 1 Certificate. The course is delivered by experienced, professional instructors and covers over 20 deer and stalking related subjects.

Corporate Opportunity - Angling Day
18th March 2008 

Communities Against Lough Neagh Incinerator
14th March 2008 

Stackallan Boyne Action Group
14th March 2008 

Breast Cancer Patients invited to Apply for Fly Fishing Retreat
10th March 2008 

Review of the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985
18th February 2008 

Find below detailed information from Stena regarding the carrying of Firearms & Ammunition on their Ferries

Full details are available on the Stena website by clicking here 

Dangerous goods (including firearms & ammunition)
It is not permitted to travel with Dangerous Goods (which include flammable liquids or gases, corrosive or toxic goods, etc), firearms or ammunition without our prior written permission; compliance with all applicable regulations, and any appropriate or relevant licences, need to be adhered to by the person responsible for the vehicle.

Firearms, sporting weapons and ammunition will only be carried in accordance with strict Company Policy, which take into consideration all the statutory and/or legislative regulations that are applicable to our Routes at the time of travel.

These items must be declared to the Company at least 24 hours prior to the date of departure and again at the check-in booth / desk on arrival at the port.

As legislation can change we reserve the right to amend our terms and conditions of carriage accordingly at short notice.

Carriage of Firearms
The safe transport of firearms is strictly regulated on all routes. It is a requirement that any firearm is always supported by the issue of a licence which is appropriate to the country of departure and/or destination, which should be available for inspection if requested.

When a vehicle (or passenger) carrying firearms arrives at the port our Duty Manager and the Port Security will then be notified and locally documented procedures will then be implemented to ensure that the following actions occurs, as appropriate:

Foot passengers
• If a foot passenger will be carrying firearms the customer must declare so at the time of booking and then at the check-in desk upon arrival at the port.
• On arrival at the port of departure foot passengers should surrender any firearm and provide appropriate certificates at Foot passenger check-in.
• The Stena Line Duty Manager and Port Security will be notified.
• Firearms surrendered by foot passengers will be conveyed by the Stena Line Duty Manager or his representative  to the Ship' s master or nominated deputy for safe keeping.
• The firearm will be returned to disembarking foot passengers on board the vessel in the destination port. A representative of Stena Line must then escort the passenger out of the port.

Vehicles
• If a vehicle will be carrying firearms the customer must declare so at the time of booking and then at the check-in booth upon arrival at the port.
• The Stena Line Duty Manager and Port Security will be notified. Locally documented procedures will ensure that the following action occurs:

The firearms will remain in the vehicle for the duration of the crossing provided that:
a) The firearms are out of sight locked in the boot or other secure area within the vehicle.
b) The loading officer or his nominated deputy has confirmed that all doors to the vehicle are locked.

• The port and ship will ensure that measures are implemented to enable the identification of vehicles carrying firearms whilst they are within the Port area and on board ship.

When the ship arrives at its destination the procedure will operate in reverse according to local documented procedures in that port.

Carriage of Ammunition
A maximum of 1000 cartridges of UN Class 1.4s may be carried in a private vehicle without documentation provided that the cartridges are in the original manufacturers packaging.

Quantities in excess of this amount, or which are not Class 1.4s, must be declared and carried according to the full provisions of the IMDG Code; and only if the vessels "Dangerous Goods Document of Compliance" permits such carriage*.

The ammunition will remain in the vehicle for the duration of the crossing provided that:
a) The ammunition is out of sight locked in the boot or other secure area within the vehicle.
b) The loading officer or his nominated deputy has confirmed that all doors to the vehicle are locked.
c) Vehicle passengers will remain under close supervision until they have left the car deck.

When the ship arrives at its destination the procedure will operate in reverse according to local documented procedures in that port.

Ammunition is prohibited for carriage on Stena Express (Lynx) services in all circumstances.

Further information, if necessary, can be obtained from the Duty Manager at the port of departure.

*Ammunition in higher quantities which would only be carried when supported by a Dangerous Goods declaration must be booked and ticketed via our Freight Department (and this will also be dependent on the vessel / route requested, and if it is authorised to do so according to statutory vessel certification). These enquiries should be referred to our Freight Reservations department:-

Calling from UK - 0845 070 4000
Calling from outside UK - 44 (0)870 850 3535
Calling from Republic of Ireland - 01 204 7722 

Following the success of this year’s competition, the Countryside Alliance Photographic Competition is back for a second year and once again focuses on rural life and landscapes.

This year we had more than 300 entries and the winning photographs are featured in our 2008 calendar, which can be bought from our online shop. You can visit the shop by clicking here. 

The 13 winning photographs from our 2008 competition will be featured in the 2009 Countryside Alliance calendar. Read on for details and rules.

The 2008/09 competition has four categories:

·         British and Irish wildlife
·         The British and Irish Countryside
·         Rural life and country sports
·         Seasons

As well as their photograph featuring in the calendar, the winning photographers will each receive a pair of tickets to the CLA Game Fair for Saturday 26th July 2008 and ten complimentary copies of the 2009 calendar.

Send your entries to:

Countryside Alliance Photo Competition 2008/09
PO Box 313
Marlborough
Wiltshire
SN8 2AA

The closing date for entries is Friday 18th April

Entrants must not be professional photographers and can submit up to four photos either as prints or slides, in colour or black and white. Photographs must have been taken in the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man and all entries must be original work and must not have been previously published.

Please print and post digital entries – email entries will be ignored. Prints should be on photo quality paper. Images must be at least 300dpi (or pixels per inch) when saved at the size at which they will be submitted. Minimum size is approx 6”x4” to a maximum of A4.

Each entry must be clearly marked on the back with:

·         when and where the photograph was taken
·         which of the four categories you wish to submit it to
·         the name, address, telephone number and email address (where possible) of the photographer.

1.    Photographs submitted to the Countryside Alliance Photographic Competition 2008 should follow the theme of Rural Britain and Ireland be submitted into one of the following four categories:

      ·    British and Irish wildlife
      ·    The British and Irish Countryside
      ·    Rural life and country sports
      ·    Seasons

2.    Photographs must have been taken in the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

3.    Entrants can submit up to four photos either as prints or slides, in colour or black and white. Prints should be on photo quality paper. Please print and post digital entries – email entries will be ignored.

4.    Photographs may be digitally enhanced to remove spots or scratches, but not manipulated. The Countryside Alliance and the judges reserve the right to  exclude any image they believe may have been excessively treated so as to alter its authenticity.

5.    Images must be at least 300dpi (or pixels per inch) when saved at the size at which they will be submitted. Minimum size is approx 6”x4” to a maximum of A4. Pictures should be clear and sharp. If you can see the dots (pixels) then these will be exaggerated when reproduced.
 
6.    The competition is open to UK (including residents of the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) and Republic of Ireland residents only. Employees of the Countryside Alliance or Countryside Alliance Ireland are not eligible to enter.

7.    Entrants must not be professional photographers.

8.    Each entry must be clearly marked on the back with:
       ·    when and where the photograph was taken
       ·    which of the four categories you wish to submit it to
       ·    the name, address, telephone number and email address (where possible) of the photographer.

9.    Entries should be sent to: Countryside Alliance Photo Competition 2008, PO Box 313, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 2AA

10. The closing date for entries is Friday 18th April 2008.

11.  No entries can be returned and proof of posting is not proof of receipt. The organisers accept no responsibility for entries lost, damaged or delayed in the post.

12.  All entries will be judged by a panel of judges. The judges will select 13 photographs which will then be used to compile the 2009 Countryside Alliance calendar. The 13 winners will each a pair of complimentary tickets for to the 2008 CLA Game Fair at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire for Saturday 26th July and ten copies of the calendar.

13.  The judges' decision will be final and no correspondence can be entered into.

14.  All entries must be original work and must not have been previously published. The entrants must be the sole owner of copyright in all photos entered and must have obtained permission of any people featured in the entries.

15.  By entering the competition, entrants grant the right for the Countryside Alliance to publish and exhibit the thirteen photographs on television, in print, on their website or in any other media as they think fit, free of charge. Entrants will also be deemed to have consented to their photographs being published in a calendar or for prints to be sold individually, in aid of the Countryside Alliance and Countryside Alliance Ireland. No fee will be payable for this use. Finalists agree to take part in post-competition publicity.

16.  By entering, entrants will be deemed to have agreed to be bound by these rules.

Photo Guidelines
There are a few technical pit-falls that you need to be aware of with the provision of digital photographs.

Your Camera
For quality re-production the camera should ideally be a 3 million+ pixels.
Most cameras have settings that enable you to vary the number of images that you can store on your memory card. When taking pictures that you hope to print out, select the option that stores fewer pictures, but larger in file size.

Prints
If you intend to submit prints, then these should be on photo quality paper. Minimum size is approx. 6” x 4” to a maximum of A4. Pictures should be clear, and sharp. If you can see the dots (pixels) then these will be exaggerated when reproduced.

We need images at 300dpi
Images should be at least 300dpi (or pixels per inch) when saved at the size at which they will be used. Most graphic/photo programs on your computers have an option to check/change this. This is usually in the part of the program where you can re-size images. This will allow for you to check the size of an image at a certain dpi. We require all images at 300 dpi. Images that are not supplied at the correct size/resolution ratio may result in pixelation/fuzziness of image upon reproduction. As a guide, an A6 standard size postcard will normally equate to a file size of up to 8-10 Megabytes.