The Hen Harrier Affair – a personal perspective Tim Birch is the Conservation Manager of the Derbyshire Widlife Trust. He has worked in nature conservation for many years, much of it abroad, but grew up in Derbyshire to which he has now returned. It’s now been almost 18 months since I’ve been back…
Category: BAN DRIVEN GROUSE SHOOTING
FoI Friday – 4
Dear Defra You may have noticed, though I wouldn’t bet on it, that there is an e-petition relevant to you rapidly gathering signatures. Once it reaches 10,000 signatures, you will have to reply to it. I point this out to you so that you might, with all this warning, make a better fist of it…
FoI Friday – 3
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Dear Defra You really are shocking. You have not acknowledged or answered this FoI request made on 7 April this year. I have reminded you about this once before. Please respond by Wednesday next week or else I will complain to the Information Commissioner about your woeful disregard for the principles of open government. Mark…
FoI Friday – 2
Dear Times newspaper I don’t believe you are under any legal obligation to answer this question, but I also cannot see any reason why you should not be happy to answer it: Have you received any representations from the Peak District National Park or landowners, land managers, farmers etc in the Peak District National Park…
FoI Friday – 1
Dear Peak District National Park This is a request under the Freedom of Information regulations, but in any case you should be happy to answer it. Please answer the following: Did the PDNP contact The Times newspaper by email, letter or telephone concerning Simon Barnes’s articles about raptor persecution in the Peak District? I ask,…
Shooting – good for wildlife?
BBC Countryfile magazine has a poll about the good that shooting does in the countryside following the Countryfile programme last Sunday. The poll asks ‘Does the shooting industry do more good than harm to Britain’s wildlife?’. I know several people who have voted in the opposite way to that which they intended because of the…
Progress
Our e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting in England has, today, entered only its seventh week of life. Doesn’t it seem longer than that? Yesterday, just as Brazil kicked off with high hopes against Germany (did Brazil have the first kick of the match – I missed the first few minutes?) our e-petition passed 7000…
A message from someone…
I received an email from someone I admire and trust last week and he (for it is a he) has agreed that I can quote him as follows: Well done for stirring up on the subject of driven grouse-shooting. I have not been against this activity until recently but have substantially changed my opinion…
What they say 4:
On yesterday’s Countryfile programme: Richard Ali, Chief Executive of BASC (c15mins 30secs into the programme): ‘…it’s not an enjoyment based on killing, it’s an enjoyment to respect the countryside. Shooting is about not just the history of Britain, it’s about an innovative future.’ Although it was delivered with an earnest tone and a deeply serious…
What they say 2:
From: Hen Harriers: your essential brief by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust: Q How many hen harriers are there in the UK? A There are 630 hen harrier pairs in the UK. Q How many hen harriers are there in England? A Hen harriers don’t stay within the borders of countries so it depends…