To Rory Stewart, Defra Dear Minister The government response to the e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting is simply awful. It is partial and inaccurate. I have previously asked Defra whether responses of this sort are seen and signed off by ministers and have never received a response. Did you sign off this response?…
Tag: shooting
Burning for grouse shooting, a threat to habitat, in the Observer today
Today the Observer has a piece on the Climate Change Committee’s report to parliament (mentioned on this blog on Wednesday) which raised the issue of intensive grouse moor management ‘The damaging practice of burning peat to increase grouse yields continues, including on internationally protected sites.’. The article was interesting for a number of reasons. The…
Not very new, and not very statesmanlike
In the New Statesman this week, there is an excellent and long article by Mark Cocker on shooting (Unfair game: why Britain’s birds of prey are being killed). I recommend it as an interesting read and because it will bring the plight of the Hen Harrier to a new readership. The most interesting quote in…
Being open
Members of the ‘Sodden 570’ at last year’s Hen Harrier Day event in the Upper Derwent Valley will recognise this area – we were getting soaked just off the left hand (western) side of the map on 10 August last year. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act provided open access to open ground (in…
Looking forward to …
Can anyone spot anything wrong with the following sentence? ‘I’m looking forward to a rational discussion with Robin Page at the ‘Tooth and Claw’ debate on Saturday in Norwich based on his well-argued and wholly accurate piece in the Daily Mail.’
Open letter to Marc Bolland of M&S
Dear Marc Congratulations on your increased profits and increased share price! It can’t all be due to customers flocking back to you after your decision not to sell grouse meat last year, but I have certainly been doing my bit to increase your profits. Your wise decision not to sell grouse meat in your stores,…
Henry goes to Chatsworth!
Henry – you look like you own the place. You don’t do you? So you aren’t too worried about a few large landowners?
What could be more appropriate?
What’s that Henry? What did you say? Ban what? Ban driven grouse shooting? OK – I’ll ask my mates to sign here for you.
Inglorious
Inglorious: conflict in the uplands will be available for Hen Harrier Day (9 August), the Inglorious 12th and thereafter. Published by Bloomsbury in late July – but you can order it now on World Book Day.
A lead-free future
If you know anything about the evidence for harm from lead ammunition, and know anything about how many other countries have switched to non-toxic ammunition, then it is difficult to imagine how the ‘Lead Ammunition Group‘ could possibly do anything other than opt for a lead-free future. Parts of a single email released under FoI…