Viscount Ridley has a DPhil from Oxford University in zoology, experience of working on wildlife conservation projects in the UK, India and Pakistan, and a 33-year career as a journalist covering environmental and scientific debates. He is also a member of the science and technology select committee of the House of Lords. So, despite previous…
Category: BAN DRIVEN GROUSE SHOOTING
SNH show that licensing is flawed
North of the border, SNH has taken away licenses from grouse shooting estates to control predators of grouse and then given them back again. SNH describe this as ‘robust licensing’. The ‘general licence’ was withdrawn from several estates but then specific licences, covering the same activities, were given back. SNH would presumably regard taxing me…
Stirley Farm talk – Thursday evening, 27 October
I’m giving a talk at the YWT Stirley community farm on Thursday evening. Details and how to book – click here. ‘Author, campaigner and naturalist Mark Avery on his campaigns to protect the Hen Harrier and why he thinks driven grouse shooting should be banned. The venue for the talk is Hall Bower Chapel, 69A…
Write to your MP this weekend – Firm Briefing 21
I’ve been in London since the evidence session on Tuesday and have met or been in touch with many MPs. The strong message comes back that the grouse shooting industry is rattled and on the back foot because never before has it faced such public scrutiny. We have posed the questions when will wildlife crime…
What next?
Yesterday – evidence session Today – written evidence from the four witnesses who were called to give evidence in person published In the next few days hundreds of written submissions received by the inquiry will be published I will submit supplementary evidence to the Committee I believe that option is open to the public too…
Every grouse moor needs a Magritte
No, grouse shooting isn’t a rich man’s thing. No, we aren’t subsidising it as taxpayers. It’s an every day story of grouse-shooting folk. First buy your grouse moor – Muggleswick, 13,000 acres, for £7m. Not enough? Buy another, East Allenheads, another 13,000 acres, for £10m. That’s more like it. Buy a Magritte…
All change – Portcullis House on Tuesday
The evidence session on Tuesday will take place in Portcullis House – opinions differ as to whether this is the ugliest building in London or just one of them. However, inside it is very nice, and modern – although lacking the charm of Sir Charles Barry’s and Pugin’s masterpiece over the road. The evidence session…
NE use at all?
Just as Defra did not submit written evidence to the inquiry into driven grouse shooting – nor did Natural England. The fact that NE have been spending our taxpayers’ money on a detailed study of ranging behaviour and mortality of Hen Harriers since 2002 has not led them to think that they might have anything…
What Defra would have had to admit
After cogitating (aka as delaying) for a month, Defra finally told me it wouldn’t answer questions about its response to our successful e-petition on banning driven grouse shooting (123,076 signatures). The House of Commons Petitions Committee will hold an evidence session, jointly with the EFRA Committee, on this subject next Tuesday (see here and here)…
How Defra might have come to NO COMMENT
Comments Off on How Defra might have come to NO COMMENT
Defra have felt unable to answer the questions that would put them on the spot over their inadequate response to our e-petition. I can understand why – their response, signed off by Rory Stewart, was hopelessly biased. They should now face questions from MPs over their position. This is a wholly fictional account (think Yes…