Governments across the world commit to stopping lead poisoning in migratory birds As described in my earlier blogs (here and here) the inter-governmental Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) has been holding a Conference of the Parties (COP) in Quito, Ecuador this week. One of the Resolutions aimed at stopping the poisoning of migratory birds includes…
Tag: lead
Lead and other poisons
In a couple of weeks time there will be a meeting in Quito of the Convention on Migratory Species. Sounds terribly dull doesn’t it? Well maybe it will be – but maybe it won’t. One of the areas to be discussed is poisoning. I wonder what position our government will take on such issues that…
Dr Debbie Pain recognised by Marsh Award
Dr Debbie Pain, the Conservation Director of the WWT, was recognised by the Zoological Society of London last week with the Marsh Award for Conservation Biology. Debbie worked ‘for’ me (in fact I appointed her) and then with me at the RSPB for 16 years before heading off for WWT. Debbie has done ground-breaking and influential…
Ten reasons why you should sign an e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting in England
Ten reasons why you should sign my e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting. You are a vegetarian or vegan (see here for one point of view) You are against wild birds being used as ‘living targets’ for ‘sport’ You are against the artificially very high densities of Red Grouse that are produced for grouse-shooting…
M&S – a response
This response from M&S at 1653 this afternoon – just so that you know I haven’t been sitting on it. It seems that M&S are beginning to get their heads around these matters. No promise to do anything about labelling on the issues surrounding lead. I suggest that either M&S label all their shot game…
Grouse – various
Isn’t nature wonderful – the image at the head of this post is of strongylid worms (the white things) crawling out of some red grouse poo. It’s possible that quite a few people and organisations feel like they are in the ‘grouse poo’ at the moment but, on the other hand, maybe they are all…
M&S, the grouse, the lead and the hen harriers
I am a fan of Marks and Spencer (M&S) – but maybe that is going to change. I am signed up to their email newsletter (which only yesterday was telling me about offers on champagne and lingerie – how sadly they misread my lifestyle!), I tend to seek out their stores in London to buy…
Saturday cartoon by Ralph Underhill – the simple-minded
It’s the weekend of the Game Fair, so spare a thought for all those people walking around in tweed in this hot weather – although you’d, maybe, think they had more sense. There will be a lot of talk about lead ammunition – it’s a big thing this Game Fair. The shooting organisations are belatedly…
Maybe not the biggest surprise ever…
Yesterday’s Today programme (at around 0639 and 0812) disclosed that high lead levels can make us more aggressive. We know that ‘Lead damages the brain’ and ‘this is why there is a drive to keep lead levels very low and to keep lead levels in children particularly low’. Hmmm. Makes you wonder doesn’t it? Another…
Congratulations to Martin Spray
Martin Spray is one of the lower-profile Chief Executives in the wildlife conservation business so it was very good to see his name in the New Year honours list. Martin told me: ‘On a personal basis I’m both overwhelmed and proud. But I’m a part of an amazing team at WWT and it is wonderful…