This is a very well-written and fairly accurate editorial in Country Life magazine. You’ll see that it says many of the things that I have said myself in the blog post before this one. I’d written all of that blog before I saw the Country Life editorial so I was interested to see how similar the analysis was, coming from our different positions.
Here are some of the best bits:
[The Hen Harrier’s] near absence in the English uplands and regular disappearances of satellite-tagged birds throughout the UK have prompted intense scrutiny of grouse-moor management.
…the recent incident on a Scottish grouse moor where, for the whole world to see, a cock hen harrier was caught in an illegally set trap. This undermines those who are trying to do the right thing and is manna from heaven for a motivated, persuasive person such as Mr Packham to take to politicians.
…in England, the first brood-managed harriers will soon be back in the uplands, where their presence will be a real test of landowners’ and keepers’ ability to keep their side of the bargain.
…the Moorland Association, GWCT, BASC, NGO and Countryside Alliance must get their act together and not kowtow to the people who are bringing the sport to its knees from within;
Those who support shooting and conservation – and the two do go hand in hand if properly done – must also communicate in a civil and convincing way with their adversaries.
Along with the overstocking of pheasants and partridges the folly of not letting Messrs Avery and Packham attend the recent Game Fair was a PR own goal. If it really was for fear of violence then that signals disaster for fieldsports.
Strong and very sensible stuff – coming from where it does it may actually sink in to the thoughts of the shooting industry. I hope so. I hope that this editorial is not a lone voice. I hope it is speaking for a majority of decent people, some of whom enjoy fieldsports.
Thank you and well done, Country Life.
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As you say Mark it is good to read that basically a pro field sports publication is putting forward sound and sensible arguments. Let’s hope these arguments penetrate a good proportion of the shooting industry and those dreadful politicians.
It is good to see that your campaigning Mark and others looks as though it is beginning to register at least in the more reasonable sections of the shooting industry.
This is indeed welcome but it has to penetrate the minds of those involved and become the norm. It is difficult to see it doing that with certain moorland owners who even now are employing particular agencies, well known within the “industry” to either make their moor pay or increase bags at any cost. That cost is usually closely associated with a significant increase in wildlife crime, huge numbers of rail traps, which I have always thought the legality of which should be challenged, lots of snares, crow traps, lots of burning and young men on quad bikes with guns. It is this blatant pursuit of mammon through increased bag size or notional land value at any cost that is in many ways the cause of grouse shootings current ills. We know who they are, grouse shooting knows who they are. Time they were got rid of, grouse shootings future depends heavily on it.
On a broadly related note, the latest edition of Pagan Dawn (the newsletter for the environmentally minded non-Christian community), had an article penned by Extinction Rebellion in it. Perhaps Mark might be persuaded to submit an article to their next one? It is definitely a readership that would be appreciative, and also one used to quietly infiltrating and changing the establishment by stealth. Valuable allies, I would think.
Submissions to: https://paganfed.org/index.php/about-pagan-dawn