It’s been a long time coming but the paper published today in Nature Communications is crushing proof that grouse moor management is overwhelmingly the source of wildlife crime against Hen Harriers. The open-access paper by Megan Murgatroyd, Stephen Redpath, Stephen Murphy, David Douglas, Richard Saunders and Arjun Amar is entitled: Patterns of satellite tagged hen…
Category: BAN DRIVEN GROUSE SHOOTING
Hen Harrier brood meddling – Mark Avery is appealing
After consulting with my brilliant legal team we have asked Mrs Justice Lang whether we can appeal her judgment against us in our Hen Harrier brood-meddling case. We are still waiting to hear from her. But in any case, we have decided that we will ask the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal if…
We lost – but we’ve already made a difference
A little while ago Mrs Justice Lang handed down her judgment on the legal challenges by myself and the RSPB. We lost. In fact we both lost on all counts so it sounds like a bit of a massacre – but it wasn’t. Our challenge was of the decision by Natural England to issue licences…
Preston
I spoke to an audience of 160 folk in a church in Preston on Monday evening. I enjoyed it. There were some familiar faces in the audience (some raptor workers, some RSPB staff, some birders, some regular readers of and commenters on this blog and some BASC staff). It made the evening more interesting to…
Restoration burning is a myth
An open access paper in Biodiversity and Conservation looks at the burning of blanket bogs. Its Abstract ends with these words, More frequent burning will result in a greater proportion of land in the early post-burning stages, potentially resulting in a thinner moss layer, more bare peat and less healthy Sphagnum, with potential consequences for…
Burning continues
Strines Moor on Monday. Walshaw Moor on Monday From Upper Midhope looking across to Shaw Brook and Fenny Common, Peak District on Monday. Walshaw Moor on Tuesday
Countryfile this evening
Burning of moorland, particularly the newly-invented ‘restoration burning’ of blanket bogs will feature on Countryfile this evening. The observations of burning of blanket bogs featured on this blog formed part of the dossier that was used by Guy Shrubsole and others and which will, I’m guessing, feature in the programme. The blurb for the programme…
Chris Davies MP
I keep a kindly eye on those MPs who spoke in the ‘debate’ over banning driven grouse shooting in October 2016. One, the MP for Brecon and Radnorshire described me thus; ‘Only the other week I had the privilege of attending the evidence session on grouse shooting. Several right hon. and hon. Members have already…
Warm words on burning
Natural England has issued a position statement on burning of blanket bogs – the position is basically ‘Don’t!’. We understand that the serial blanket bog burners in the uplands are less than chuffed by actually being told what they can and can’t do. We can’t see any comment from the Moorland Association on this subject…
Hen Harrier champion goes independent
One of the MPs departing the Labour Party today is Angela Smith, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, and the Hen Harrier champion in Westminster. I know Angela to speak to, and she attended the Hen Harrier Day rally in the Goyt Valley in 2015, and so I sent her a quick message of support today….