I have received a communication re the petition. The usual fobbing off with a statement, and I quote:

"The Government appreciates that many people hold strong views on the issue of driven grouse shooting. The Government considers that shooting activities bring many benefits to the rural economy and can in many cases be beneficial for wildlife and habitat conservation. "

Ludicrous! Don't they have a conscience?

89,000 plus at the moment, if anyone hasn't signed please consider doing so as John says it will keep it in the public eye and with Chris Packham at the helm our MP's will be better equipped to counter the ignorant arguments presented by the shooting fraternities representatives

Does it matter how many signatures are obtained? I'm sure you must have all read the garbage that sprouted from the House of Commons when this was last debated there. What we need to do is vote for whichever Party pledges to legislate on driven grouse shooting in their manifesto (if you can believe those). How many would do that if it meant voting Labour or The Green Party against their usual instincts?

Petition nearing 74000. Please pass on to your email contacts.

Ian McKerchar wrote:

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Update on Justice for Hen Harriers! #justice4henharriers

(written by Mark Avery)

 

Here is a podcast which I recorded with Charlie Moores of Lush a couple of days ago where we talked generally about the plight of the Hen Harrier but also about #justice4henharriers and the amazing response to this crowd funding appeal.

It's quite long, 37 minutes, but you might find it passes a train journey or your commute into work.

Here is the link http://player.lush.com/channels/times/radio/mark-avery-challenging-brood-meddling

Many thanks for all your support (I'm going to keep saying that because I really can't thank you enough!)

Mark

Crowdjustice link

 

 

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Well done to all those that contributed to the crowd funding!!!

-- Edited by Craig Higson on Friday 9th of March 2018 11:34:31 PM

Rick Hall wrote:

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I simply can't get my head around the cost of this 'sport'. £150 + VAT per brace of grouse, and a party of eight guns aims for a 200 brace day. That's £30,000 + VAT per day!!! To go out and kill stuff. That's 400 birds per party, per day. My maths isn't great, but I reckon a hen harrier would struggle to do that in a year.

It makes me ashamed to be a human that people will poison one of the most majestic birds that grace our land, for the profit that is made off killling even more!

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hear hear...couldn't agree more Rick!

Mike,

Sorry to say it will take a change of Government at least to move this forward. The latest proof of this is quite clear. The Tories are letting business profits (although not solely that, I understand) influence the onslaught currently facing badgers in the South West of England. What message is this ending out to any 'business' which makes its livelihood in the countryside? I'll tell you. If there is anything out there which is preventing you from making the maximum possible profit for your business, snuff it out, and we will turn a blind eye (or even help you as with the case of destroying buzzard nests to protect pheasant interests). Those presently in charge of this country's economy care not one jot for wildlife, especially if it stands in the way of making money (progress in their book). Sadly, a real alternative to Shameron and Co does not seem to be in sight.

re; Hen Harrier persecution- an update:

In March I wrote a long letter to the CEO of RSPB as part of my campaign (which effectively amounts to my WAR against certain selfish landowning interests) to help save our Hen Harriers.

In early April, I was very pleased to receive in response a three page letter approved by Dr. Mike Clarke and signed in his absence, which confirmed that RSPB is very seriously focused on the self same suggested priorities which were set out by me.

The RSPB confirms its commitment to the following:

1.To achieve the writing into English Law the principle of vicarious liability (as it presently exists in Scotland).

2. The establishment of stronger sanctions should the shooting sector continue to fail to tackle criminality.

3. RSPB is undertaking a major investment in its "Skydancer Project" aimed at increasing public awareness of and empathy with the plight of the Hen harrier. The project provides education and information to local communities, schools and gamekeeping colleges. This latter aspect is of course a particularly important component.

$. RSPB is looking hard at how best to target its enforcement work, (details confidential) with emphasis not just on protecting nesting birds, but also on tackling the problem of persecution away from nesting sites (e.g. at winter roosts as well).

Regards,
Mike P.

Tried at lunchtime & still waiting for the repeat confirmation email. They must be really busy!

I have just signed. Let's hope it gains momentum as with the Buzzard debacle. Perhaps it will if everyone who reads this considers signing up.

Cheers, John

An e-petition has been set up by a chap up in Scotland asking for licensing of upland grouse moors and gamekeepers. For more information check out his blog at http://birdingodyssey.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/action-on-hen-harrier-persecution.html or to go direct to the petition http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/46473.

After two days he's already got nearly 1,400 signatures!!

Neil

I'm obviously no expert, but the injustice of the whole thing seems particularly pertinent, as if some people (or indeed animals) have any right to be on the moors than others. And whilst the RSPB should be commended for its work with saving habitats for breeding birds it can be argued that what we don't need is a series of isolated areas in which birds breed, rather a countryside that is more tolerant of birds breeding anywhere, including birds of prey. It is no good preserving certain moorlands for raptors, as raptors can't distinguish between a grouse moor and normal heathland, its small wonder Red Kites are struggling to leave the Black Isle on the Moray Firth, if they go a mile inland they're on prize grouse moors and it appears that here they're 'fair game'. It just seems so unfair that if brought to the attention of people it couldn't fail to raise some sort of reaction.

The gamekeepers are just doing what they are told by their estate-owning bosses who are happy to pay off these measly fines.

I believe that Scottish law now allows the landowner to be charged with offences carried out by their staff on their land - but has it happened yet? We need English law to follow suit and prosecutions made. But how will this happen when the government is well-stocked with grouse moor owners and their chums from public school?

I'm sure the RSPB could do more on this issue but at least they did fight (and win) the proposal to persecute Buzzards put forward by our grouse moor-owning Environment Minister

Another rant, and no apology!

"Inside Out" on BBC1 at 19.30 earlier tonight had a good ten minute spot on the plight of Hen Harriers in Northern England, with evidential input from those conservationists working hard and monitoring the decline and crucially its causes, putting the spotlight clearly where it belongs; - criminal persecution of a legally protected species by gamekeepers, almost certainly for the most part under pressure from their landowning bosses anxious to maximise the precious "bag" from their autumn shoots.

The grouse moor faction put up a spokesman (also allegedly understood to be a lawyer) who tried to suggest that the decline was due to poor weather during the last few breeding seasons, and that in any case it was hardly an important topic, just an over - hyped fuss by a few conservationists, and that there was no need to change the law ; surely the priority should be to address real crime like murder and rape, (as if all these things were mutually exclusive).
Another spokesman for the landowners said that any gamekeeper killing/persecuting a protected raptor species would lose his job. I'd really like to believe that individual; - if he were telling the truth he would surely represent a tiny minority. I do know from previous conversations with ex gamekeepers however that such "public speak" is the standard verbal response by any working gamekeeper, but the overwhelming reality is the opposite in practice. Ex keepers have spilled the beans too many times as to what really goes on. The programme hit the mark when an ex keeper admitted that killing 8/10 Harriers and a few Peregrines in a season was expected on some estates.

These peoples' arrogance is breathtaking; do they really think that blanket denial by a minority of wealthy landowners is acceptable/credible and that the rest of us are so stupid as to believe or accept such nonsense in the face of the evidence?


The next step should be to now pressure the conservative party to start to take the matter seriously with a view to changing the law by making the landowners liable for the crimes of their employees, as in Scotland, where vicarious liability is now written into law. It would appear that labour MPs are generally supportive of any move to afford increased legal protection, but sadly the conservatives are reported to be inclined to drag their heels on this.

The above aim will be most effectively achieved by challenging the RSPB to throw down the gauntlet with the weight of over a million members behind it. That would best be done by the RSPB firstly educating its membership via a focused magazine campaign concerning the needs and life history of the species, backed up with a publicity campaign, with the emphasis on displaying stunning photographs of (particularly male) Hen Harriers, and secondly by galvanising the membership with an in - depth analysis of the causes of the decline and a clear explanation of the obvious remedy; - a change in the law bringing in "vicarious liability" on the rationale for the self evident need in England to do so.

Much would rest on the willingness of the RSPB to initiate such a campaign. It publishes its magazine (quarterly?) whatever, so there would be no/little additional expense involved. I checked back over the last 6 publications and saw nothing mentioned whatever concerning Hen Harriers; - there was plenty of stuff pitched at the level of "garden birds" and indeed there was hardly anything approaching "controversy" in a domestic context.

I do believe that the RSPB should step up and do what it says on the tin; - show its teeth, and in a political way, if that can play a decisive role in saving the Hen Harrier in England; if it did so in an effective way, the conservative party would get a well deserved boot up the arse to remind it that the voting majority count for a bloody sight more at the ballot box than the landowning minority.

Any added input /views are welcome, as I am shortly to take this up directly with RSPB.

Regards,
Mike P.