(Barbados Nation) The shooting fraternity said yesterday it was “completely opposed to the illegal possession and use  of firearms and ammunition”.

In a strongly worded statement issued following an emergency meeting on Friday night, members of the Barbados Rifle Association (BRA), Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association, Barbados Rifle & Pistol Federation Inc. and the Barbados Association of Firearm Dealers, Collectors and Gunsmiths said while they were respectful of the rule of law, as well as of the principles of natural justice, they were prepared “to defend the enviable tradition of firearm ownership for which Barbados has always been respected”.

Rocked by the recent arrests of three executive members on gun and ammunition charges, the four associations declared they had “long been active in training firearm owners to ensure responsible use of firearms and strict adherence to all elements of safety, as part of the process required by the Commissioner of Police before the issuance of firearms licences”.

However, Commissioner Darwin Dottin said he remained very concerned about the prevalence of illegal weapons on the island’s streets.