Gems from the written evidence 4 – Michael Whitehouse

Here are a couple of extracts from the written evidence submitted by Michael Whitehouse.

 

‘I have lived in Yorkshire for over 43 years during which time I very regularly walk in the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors and less so in the Peak District and the Lake District. I am a keen birdwatcher (not a twitcher!) and I have been lucky enough to see on 2 occasions in the Dales a single hen harrier, one in Widdale and the other near Walden Dale. I would like to see raptors more often on my walks.

Currently it is against the law to shoot, trap or poison raptors in England but it is so abundantly clear the law is regularly flouted and not enforced. In my view Parliament should either make it legal to carry out the above actions (which would be unbelievably unpopular throughout the country as a whole) or take firm action to stamp out these illegal practices.’

‘My simple philosophy is:-

1. If you want to know the time – look at your watch

2. If you want to know the temperature – look at a thermometer

3. If you want to know how grouse moors are doing – count the hen harriers’

 

 

 

 

I’m asking you to write to your MP and ask them to attend the Westminster Hall debate on 31 October and make the following points:

• wildlife crime is rife in the uplands.  This has major conservation impacts on birds of prey (see my written evidence).  Illegal killing of birds of prey is not caused by a few bad apples but is endemic to the activity of driven grouse shooting.
• intensive management of our hills for driven grouse shooting causes many other problems (increased flooding, increased water treatment costs, culls of Mountain Hares, damage to protected habitats, increased greenhouse gas emissions) which could be tackled by stronger regulation and government should consider that as a serious option for those issues
• but the government is not seriously addressing wildlife crime. The grouse shooting industry has shown no willingness or ability to tackle this issue despite decades of saying that it will. The status quo is not an option. Banning driven grouse shooting is the most effective way to end wildlife crime against birds of prey in our uplands and anything else will be weak and ineffective.

Please write to your MP and ask them to pass on your letter to Defra ahead of the debate if they are unable to attend and make these points themselves. Tell your MP that you will also write to them after the debate and that this is an issue about which you feel very strongly.

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