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…
Tag: hen harrier
Gems from the written evidence 1 – Alan Stewart
The written evidence to the inquiry into driven grouse shooting has started to be published – but there are, I am told, hundreds more examples to come. I’ll be quoting from and commenting on some of them here over the next week or so – although my ability to get connected to the internet may…
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…
You can’t ignore 123,076 signatures
The shooting community lacks good losers – but they had better get better at it. One of their current bugbears is the wave of public opinion that has carried the subject of driven grouse shooting into the Westminster parliament. The simple fact is that only 38 petitions have been debated in this session of parliament…
An interesting session
Well that was interesting! The evidence session yesterday took something like twice as long as the time for which it was scheduled because of the interest from MPs. That’s a good thing. The transcript of the session should be available later today, I guess (which is remarkably quick). I’ll look forward to reading it as…
What’s up at HOT?
No news that I can spot on the Hawk and Owl Trust website following their AGM 10 days ago. Slightly odd? Have there been new trustees elected?Was the Chair re-elected? Or what? Is it a secret? The H&OT say in part of their website that they are supporting two elements of the government’s hopeless Hen…
What people might say tomorrow.
RSPB: Martin Harper helpfully sets out the RSPB case on driven grouse shooting in his blog today ahead of the evidence session tomorrow at 2:15pm. There is not much between the RSPB and my position when it comes to the litany of problems associated with driven grouse shooting. These arguments have been well rehearsed and…
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…
Guest blog – Impressions from the RSPB AGM by Lyn Ebbs
By education and training I am a microbiologist and worked in the NHS and biotech sector. I finished my working career in clinical research and patient safety in the pharmaceutical industry, so am a firm believer in evidence-based science. I’ve been a member of the RSPB for many years and started volunteering for them when…