Triggered by the news that Natural England had issued the first ever licence for the destruction of a buzzard nest at the request of a pheasant shooting estate, a colleague pointed me in the direction of a blog from Matthew Taylor (Chief Executive of the RSA) about how to restore trust in public institutions.  In it, Matthew says...

"Modern institutions – especially those which people believe should be expected to act in the public interest – must seek to make decisions as if they are operating in a glass box. (NB: This is not the same as arguing for total transparency. Indeed greater openness is more likely to be the consequence than the cause of more ethical organisational behaviour).

If an organisation which claims to be ethical is making decisions on a basis which the public would not understand or condone then it is ever more likely, sooner or later, that these decisions and the dodgy thinking behind them will be exposed, further eroding trust in institutions."

Makes you think, doesn't it?

Parents
  • There are two issues here. First is the secrecy surrounding the issue of these licences. Given the lack of any body of evidence to suggest that buzzards routinely impact pheasant production this licence should be subject to public scrutiny. The lack of transparency in this case is shameful.  It is tantamount to an admission that this is wrong.  I'm an RSPB member and I'm pleased that you have exposed this case.

    The second issue is more fundamental. Can it ever be right to kill birds of prey or destroy their nests to protect a non native game bird. No, no ,no. If the shooting industry cannot operate without doing so it's not fit for the 21st century.

Comment
  • There are two issues here. First is the secrecy surrounding the issue of these licences. Given the lack of any body of evidence to suggest that buzzards routinely impact pheasant production this licence should be subject to public scrutiny. The lack of transparency in this case is shameful.  It is tantamount to an admission that this is wrong.  I'm an RSPB member and I'm pleased that you have exposed this case.

    The second issue is more fundamental. Can it ever be right to kill birds of prey or destroy their nests to protect a non native game bird. No, no ,no. If the shooting industry cannot operate without doing so it's not fit for the 21st century.

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