For a number of years the breeding population of hen harrier has been on the brink – even failing to breed in England in 2013.
The RSPB had been part of an Environment Council-led process to resolve the conflict between hen harrier conservation and grouse moor management. It was clear that, while providing a forum for increased understanding between different groups, this had not resulted in the necessary action: a different approach was therefore needed. In May 2012 (see here) we wrote to Defra and Natural England to urge them to lead and fund a comprehensive conservation plan for hen harriers, endorsed by stakeholders, including landowning and shooting organisations. Later on that year I published a blog by my colleague, Jude Lane, about the death of a hen harrier known as Bowland Betty. It was an emotional report from someone working on the front line of hen harrier conservation and even prompted a call to Jude from the then Environment Minister, Richard Benyon. That phone call and subsequent conversations with Defra officials gave us the belief that they recognised the seriousness of the issue. And it’s one of the reasons why we stuck with the difficult debate on the Action Plan. Today, after challenging and lengthy negotiations, this plan is published. You can read it here.
Image courtesy of Guy Shorrock
I welcome this plan - not because it is perfect, it isn’t - but because it reflects real potential for progress on one of the most deep-rooted conflicts in conservation.
The plan has two main objectives: "The hen harrier has a self-sustaining and well dispersed breeding population in England across a range of habitats including a viable population present in the Special Protected Areas designated for hen harrier; and the harrier population coexists with local business interests and its presence contributes to a thriving rural economy".
We shall play our part in making it a success, of course focussing on tackling the primary reason for the hen harrier's adverse conservation status - illegal persecution. Our ultimate goal is to secure recovery for hen harriers, while recognising that this is only one aspect of a wider range of impacts of current land management practices in our uplands.
Last year we provided a home for over 60 pairs of hen harriers throughout the UK and invested in the EU match-funded Hen Harrier LIFE Project, which combines satellite tagging, on-the-ground monitoring, nest protection, investigations work, awareness-raising, and working with volunteer raptor field workers, landowners and local communities to protect hen harriers across northern England and southern & eastern Scotland.
Image courtesy of Dom Greves
There are still lots of hurdles to overcome, especially regarding the long-term funding of monitoring and enforcement programmes, but also regarding the detail of proposed lowland reintroduction, its fit with IUCN guidelines, and the legal basis and thresholds for any trial brood management scheme. As set out in a blog by our chief exec last year, we think there are significant legal, ethical and practical questions to answer, but we’ve not said never to brood management.
The public profile of the plight of the hen harrier has rightly grown over recent years and there will understandably be a lot of interest on the detail of this plan. The detail matters, but we also need everyone to work together to implement the plan – its success will ultimately be judged by whether more hen harriers breed in England. The RSPB is committed to working in partnerships to deliver the changes needed to restore the health of our uplands and we hope many others will share these aims and be willing to work together to secure a better future for them.
What do you think of the Hen Harrier Action Plan?
It would be great to hear your views.
Great news Martin,
And well done Defra, Natural England (NE) and all other members of the group for finally brokering a deal. Now let’s put the last 2 years-worth-and-more of energy-sapping, resource-wasting, goodwill destroying, divisive conflict behind us and pull together to ensure that the Defra/NE Joint Hen Harrier Action Plan succeeds.
Looking forward to seeing hen harriers gracing the skies over the south-west of England – preferably over Bodmin Moor, Dartmoor and Exmoor in that order, obviously.
Keith Cowieson
It must be right for the RSPB to engage constructively with the people who manage most of the uplands, despite past disappointments. It's a worthwhile plan and, realistically, the only game in town at present. The big question is: will enough of the shooting community play by the rules to make a difference?
At the heart of the Hen Harrier disaster and the wider environmental damage being caused by intensive management for driven grouse shooting is the expectation of huge bags. Now might be a good time for shooters to consider the long-term future of their sport, and not just in the uplands. Responsible shooting for sport, wildlife conservation, and a healthy environment can all co-exist. However, the public in general do not like things being killed - for any reason. Times change; moderation in all things might be a good guiding principle for shoot owners to adopt.
Sorry, Martin, its a dead cat and a putrid one at that. Why has it come out now after such a long delay ? To divert RSPB and others attention away from the much bigger issues hanging over landuse in the uplands following the recent flooding. Linked to the Natural Capital Committee's recommendations there is a real opportunity for change in the way we do things - but that is not the Government agenda. Standard Lynton Crosby tactics are to throw something on the table to set people off on a different, less dangerous track - an this is one of those.
And putrid ? 3 or 4 years ago this might have had some merit but things have moved on, not least in the relentless onslaught against our Hen Harriers. How on earth can one celebrate 6 nest rather than 4 of a bird with a potential population of over 300 ? On top of that, the plan looks like a lot of other Defra plans - possible to fully implement without actually achieving the desired outcome - where is the target to prevent the Minister claiming in 4 years time that the plan has been implemented but there are still only 6 pairs of Hen Harrier ? I'm not averse to RSPB talking and joining in - but it simply can't on this basis. What I'd like to see is a clear statement that if there are not 30 pairs of Hen harrier in England in the breeding season of 2019 RSPB will change its policy to a ban on driven Grouse shooting.
One misgiving: The action plan states that no additional costs are expected with regard to monitoring hen harrier persecution while there are also plans to withdraw funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit. That does not look like much of a commitment.
And a question: how many other species are told that "its presence [must] contribute to a thriving rural economy"? I'm not sure that the blackbirds in my village are pulling their weight!
Martin. This can work for the public benefit but only with a skilled independent leadership 'brokering' a way forward in this deeply complex issue. Dissenting voices must be heard but not be allowed to derail the process.
This paper shows how it can be done www.diogoverissimo.com/.../10.1016@j.biocon.2015.07.018.pdf by learning from past mistakes of stakeholders trying to do their own thing to appease public opinion (not the same as public benefit).
It will be long haul but it's great that a plan is now there to work on.
Best, Rob
www.robyorke.co.uk