Further thoughts on the Hen Harrier Action Plan for England

Two weeks ago, I published a blog on the launch of Defra’s Hen Harrier Action Plan (here). While the plan is limited in its commitments, I welcomed its publication as a step in the right direction.

Since then, I have received quite a few comments and questions via twitter, this blog and email. I have not been surprised – this is an issue where the stakes are high.

Image courtesy of Guy Shorrock

I thought it was worth setting out a few more details on what this plan is and what difference we think it could make.

The first thing to say is that this is not like any other species action plan that I have been involved in over the past twenty years. Unlike other plans, there are objectives not just for the recovery of the species but also for a thriving rural economy.  I don’t fear this second objective because a lot of research that we have done has demonstrated the value that birds of prey have brought to local economies (see here).

Second, this is a plan that has support from the landowner community. I do not believe that it is possible to make progress with hen harrier conservation without changes to the way some landowners relate to this species.  Their support for the plan and its objectives is therefore essential. 

With the publication of the plan, therefore, everybody should be committed to delivering more successfully breeding hen harriers in 2016. If we see things starting to improve on the ground, we can have some confidence that the plan is having the desired effect and is beginning to build the trust necessary to address the bigger challenges to come. After all, this is about more than just hen harriers. Our uplands are not in good heart (see here), and the benefits we all receive from our uplands are being eroded, in some places literally.

The cessation of illegal persecution of hen harriers and other raptors should be an easy first step to take. Such persecution can and should stop immediately.

How will we know if the plan as a whole is working or not? Well the ultimate measure of success is clear – more hen harriers nesting in England. Has Defra set a population target and time limit on this?   The short answer is no although the first test will be this year’s breeding season. I would also like to think that by the end of the decade legal SPA targets for hen harriers in England will also be met (see here and here) so that we are moving towards favourable conservation status for the species.

The two actions which have inevitably provoked most discussions and debate (as they did during the lengthy and challenging process of producing the plan) are those regarding a southern England reintroduction and brood management.

On the reintroduction proposals, it is difficult to say too much until there’s an actual project on which to comment. But the most important thing to note at this stage is the reference to IUCN guidelines. These are essentially the handbook for how to plan a justifiable and successful reintroduction project. One criterion is particularly pertinent here.  In sourcing birds for reintroduction, the source population of birds must not be adversely affected.  Given the critically low nesting population of hen harriers in England, and on grouse moors elsewhere, it is clear that birds could not come from elsewhere in England or any other grouse moor area. 

Part 6 of the plan on brood management has been the focus of an extraordinary amount of debate over recent years but the reality remains there are huge unanswered legal, practical, scientific and conservation challenges, all of which are still to be addressed.  We do not even know what the objectives would be for a trial.  The Plan acknowledges that questions need to be answered and the group that Natural England will lead must now work methodologically through them.  For the avoidance of doubt, the RSPB’s position on brood management has not changed: we would only consider supporting experimental investigation in England in the future once hen harrier numbers have recovered to a pre-agreed level and if less interventionist approaches, particularly diversionary feeding, have been widely attempted.

So, there is still much to do. Our dedicated staff will continue to do what they and our volunteers do best – work tirelessly to protect hen harriers on the ground.   Our exciting Life project will again be tagging hen harrier chicks in 2016 and you’ll be able to follow their journeys on the project website (link). My hope is that the publication of this action plan will help ensure that the Life project has some successful new hen harrier lives to report in 2016.