You may remember that the Defra response to Gavin Gamble’s e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting referred in an alarming way to control of problem species. I asked Defra what they meant and have only just (yesterday) received a response. Here it is: Dear Dr Avery, Thank you for your email of 27 November about…
Category: BAN DRIVEN GROUSE SHOOTING
Craven Herald
The Craven Herald is based in Skipton, grouse-shooting country. Here are two recent stories, both by their Senior Reporter, Clive White. Family terror as dog is snatched by bird of prey – you have to read quite a way into the article before you realise that this is a falconer’s bird, and nowhere are you…
It may be May
Raptor Persecution UK today maintain their excellent record of unearthing the details of the friendly and collaborative manner in which the Moorland Association has always dealt with their partners in fighting wildlife crime. This case is an alleged email sent a long time ago, in 2010, by the then Peak District representative of the Moorland…
Where next?
The RSPB has pulled out of the failed Peak District Bird of Prey Initiative – well done, a bit slow, but good for them. It’s interesting that this closely followed the publication on the RPUK blog of the intended press release about the failure of the project over recent years and the publication of an…
Guest blog – Driven Grouse Shooting on Borrowed Time by RSPB chair Kevin Cox
Kevin Cox was appointed Chair of RSPB Council in October 2017, having previously served on Council from 2011-2016. He has been a Council member and trustee of World Land Trust for the past 12 years, as well as Chair of its trading company. He helped Birdlife Bolivia set up a protected area for the critically-endangered…
Statement from Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
A blog from the rather good Tim Birch, of the rather good Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, on the National Trust decision on grouse shooting on their land in the Dark Peak.
Statement from Bradford Council
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said in a statement from Bradford Council:“The lease for the Bingley Moor Partnership to grant shooting rights on Ilkley Moor expires in April 2018 and last night (Monday) Bradford Labour Group were not supportive of its renewal. “Our new Ilkley Moor Management Plan sets out…
Bye bye National Trust, Hello National Trust for Scotland!
I’ve just cancelled my National Trust membership and have signed up to the National Trust for Scotland. Let me explain why and you might find that it would suit you too. Or maybe it wouldn’t. The National Trust does quite a lot of good things but I’ve never felt very sympathetic to its philosophy. I…
Brood meddling in the Guardian
Patrick Barkham in the Guardian: Conservationists say government scheme, aimed at placating grouse moor land owners who object to the birds breeding on their land, will not boost numbers of the endangered birds. There’s a good quote from the RSPB but we are all wondering what the RSPB will actually do now. There’s a very…
Brood meddling – a mad muddle
Yesterday Natural England announced that it had issued licences for Defra’s highly controversial Hen Harrier brood management scheme (but this blog by Raptor Persecution UK is a much better description of what is going on). Natural England was once a statutory nature conservation organisation of high repute but it is no longer fit for purpose. …