The latest in the excellent series of BAWC podcasts – this one by Terry Pickford.
‘In 1974 we had 39 breeding females…every single estate had hen harriers…but many of them were interfered with’
‘It changed about 1980’
‘Derek Ratcliffe was asked the reason why there had been such a calamitous collapse in Hen Harriers in the Forest of Bowland and said ‘I can’t think of anything else other than persecution’
‘These things are disappearing from grouse moors and the only reason is that the ‘keepers are killing them. There’s no doubt about that. I’ve seen it.’
‘The keeper had his hand around the neck of a Hen Harrier’
‘We will never, ever accept Hen Harriers on Red Grouse moors in Bowland [the words of a land agent]’
‘I’ve seen two generations of ‘keepers come and go…there are traps now everywhere”
‘We’ve had the Natural England Hen Harrier initiative for years now, hundreds of thousands of pounds, and they’re stalling for time. When it started there were more Hen Harriers than there are now. ‘
‘It’s worse now, Charlie, than it’s ever been before’
‘As soon as they put the satellite tags on, within a year or 18 months they’ve disappeared. I understand they’ve all gone down on grouse moors – they’ve not gone down anywhere else’
‘Nobody’s interested. Nobody’s interested’
[registration_form]
I have just told Alan Titchmarsh what I think of his decision to present an award to Alex Hogg…the SGA’s chief apologist. I am fed up of people saying and doing things that are not challenged.
Circus – I guess that’s hogwash?
Where is there more info about this award?
At last someone has the balls to speak the truth. Well done Terry Pickford.
TerryPickford’s interview was a breath of fresh air well done
Not many people are prepared to stand up and say what Terry Pickford has said. Every credit!
Very well spoken terry,as someone with over thirty years experience as a professional keeper,I can say that your approach has been the right one,in spite of all the obstacles put in front of you by your own side you have never given up.A posting from someone at the North of England Raptor Forum would seem timely right now.
Brilliant interview!
Excellent Terry.
You must have been reading my mind, many of the things you said was just like listening to myself speaking.
Good interview – I take my hat off to raptor workers such as Terry. A real triumph for hope over experience I guess.
A question for Terry (as I know he posts on this blog), if you had say £50 to donate towards preventing the persecution of raptors in the uplands, which organisation would it best be sent to?
Ernest, clearly the RSPB don’t really need the £50 do they considering all the lottery funding they receive. In the last 50 years the North West Raptor Protection Group have funder the work they undertake protecting persecuted raptors out of their own pockets. I did a rough calculation of just the fuel the group purchased for this period, and based on a low calculation the figure spent is at least 10k. So clearly we don’t really need the £50 either. This year the group received our first ever sponsorship from Lush Cosmetics. This funding helped pay some of the costs our members have spend for our Hen Harrier Peaceful Protest Day which we are organising in the Forest of Bowland in August. Smaller groups like ours who do most of the field work on the ground, don’t ask for funding, we do the work we do because we love what we do without thinking of financial reward of any kind.
Ernest, further more, in my opinion money will not resolve or prevent the on-going persecution of raptors in our uplands. The persecution of raptors to protect game stocks has many similarities with the killing resulting from the conflict between Hamas and the Israelis in Gaza, this killing is unlikely to end or resolve anything. What is needed in both situations is negotiation and compromise by both sides.
I suspect Terry is absolutely right in that it will take compromise on both sides. however if the any pairs nearer together than 10km and one will be brood managed as mentioned in the GWCT document is truly in the DEFRA proposals that would not be compromise by conservationists it would be capitulation.
Both the Bowland and North Pennine SPAs are in part designated for Hen Harriers. To show goodwill lets challenge the Grouse industry to allow those designation figures to breed unmolested by 2019. I think the figures are 7 and 11 pairs that to me is a reasonable starting compromise. You never know they might be achievable in less time with a little will power to not raise the gun or run dogs through a nest or stop sitting at a known roost with loaded gun.