The Wild Justice legal challenge has secured regulation of gamebird releases in a way never contemplated by the shooting industry. The Guardian: Pheasant and partridge classified as species that imperil UK wildlife. Wild Justice successfully argued that European protections obliged the authorities to regulate about 60 million non-native pheasants and partridges let loose into the…
Author: Mark
Born Bristol, UK
Educated: Cleeve House School Bristol, Bristol Grammar School and Downing College Cambridge
Ph.D. University of Aberdeen, Winter activity of pipistrelle bats.
NERC post-doctoral Research Fellow, Edward Grey Institute, Oxford University
Former Conservation Director of the RSPB, 1989-2011
Wild Justice gets DEFRA to regulate gamebird releases
DEFRA has announced that it will license gamebird releases on or near protected wildlife sites – see Wild Justice statement here.
Farming today interview
Depending on when you read this, I may be just about to be on Radio 4 Farming Today talking about the Wild Justice legal challenge of gamebird releases (if before 0545-0555) or you were sleeping happily through it. I’ll put the link in here later. Here is the link (last 5 minutes of programme). I…
Hen Harrier brood meddling returns to court in 2021
In January 2018 Natural England issued a licence for brood meddling (some called it brood management) of Hen Harriers. I challenged the legality of this straight away (and RSPB did soon after) and was given permission to seek judicial review of the decision (as were the RSPB). We went to court in December 2018 and…
Waitrose slipping on its lead-free promise
This blog has praised Waitrose for its stance on lead in game meat – see here and here very recently for examples. But some blog readers, obviously Waitrose customers, have suggested that the game meat on sale is not lead free. One, at least, has questioned Waitrose on this and received the reply below which…
BTO press release – Marsh Award for Ornithology goes to Dr Jennifer Smart
Dr Jennifer Smart of Norfolk has been awarded the prestigious Marsh Award for Ornithology by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) for her work in the conservation of breeding waders like lapwing, redshank and black-tailed godwits. As a group, waders are amongst the most endangered, suffering from a variety of issues that include habitat loss…
BTO press release – Marsh Award for Innovative Ornithology goes to Dr Ellie Owen
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Dr Ellie Owen of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has been awarded the Marsh Award for Innovative Ornithology by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Dr Ellie Owen is a conservation scientist at RSPB Centre for Conservation Science. Ellie specialises in seabird ecology and conservation and her innovative “Puffarazzi” project breaks…
Guest blog – The Willow Butterfly by filbert cobb
filbert cobb is a regular commenter on this blog and has been since its early days (since February 2012). I suspect filbert cobb may not be his real name. He has produced three delightful guest blogs here in the past; Leopoldius, 14 November, 2018, Remember not to Forget, 30 September 2016 and The Sunken Garden,…
Press release – new report by Rewilding Britain
Britain’s climate zones shifting 5km a year – nature recovery era needed to avert wildlife catastrophe Britain’s climate zones are shifting by up to five kilometres a year because of rising temperatures – with potentially catastrophic impacts for wildlife, says a new report by Rewilding Britain. The shift – due to human-caused climate heating, and hundreds…
Press release – Leigh Day and Transport Action Network
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Further hearing in Transport Action Network’s application for judicial review of RIS2 decision A hearing will be held on Thursday, 29 October in the legal challenge by Transport Action Network (TAN) into the government decision to give the go ahead for Road Investment Strategy 2. TAN was granted permission in July to apply for judicial…