It's good to see (here) the shooting community supporting the need for a recovery plan for the hen harrier in England - this is a positive step forward.
As I have written previously (for example, see here), we want a world richer in nature and we want to see a recovery plan that does what it says on the tin, i.e. it secures recovery for the hen harrier in England. This is something to which the UK Government is committed to through its Biodiversity 2020 Strategy and for which it has legal obligations under the EU Birds Directive.
A target-led approach to species recovery which focuses on tackling the key threats has long been a theme of nature conservation and, indeed, was the basis of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan established in 1994 by the then Environment Secretary, John Gummer, now Lord Deben.
In our discussions with Defra, we have sought to ensure that the developing plan focuses attention on the right issues, especially tackling the root causes of decline. In the case of the hen harrier, the key threat constraining recovery is illegal persecution.
There has been some debate about the relative merits of a so-called brood management scheme (BMS) whereby hen harrier chicks would be removed from a moor when a threshold of birds was reached to remove perceived predation pressure on grouse.
This is an idea that emerged a few years ago and which we have given considerable thought – indeed we even wrote an article in the Journal of Applied Ecology on the subject in 2009 (see here).
We have concluded that this may merit experimental investigation in England in the future, but only once hen harrier numbers have recovered to a pre-agreed level and less interventionist approaches, particularly diversionary feeding, have been widely attempted.
It is regarding the conservation target that we and the shooting community differ. They would like to pilot the BMS now. We think this is not only premature but potentially not compliant with existing legislation. It would also send a terrible signal to nature conservation that it is appropriate to 'manage' a highly threatened population of an iconic species.
To survive in the 21st century, driven grouse shooting must be able to demonstrate that it can operate in harmony with healthy populations of birds of prey like the hen harrier and that it can address the other negative environmental impacts associated with grouse moor management (here). This is why we think it is right and timely to license driven grouse shooting.
The conflict between grouse shooting and environment is understandably becoming an increasingly emotive debate and there have, over the past three years, been four separate e-petitions on the Number 10 website about birds of prey and grouse shooting. Most people want the wildlife in our uplands to flourish and I note the growing support for Hen Harrier day being organised on 10 August. While I shall be on holiday for the day itself, I shall be there in spirit hoping that it helps put a spotlight on illegal killing. I know many RSPB supporters, staff and volunteers will be attending and adding their support to the call for the end of illegal persecution of the hen harrier.
In the meantime, we look forward to continuing our work with Defra, the shooting community and others to secure an effective hen harrier recovery plan so that everyone can get behind it soon. It's only by working together that we'll save the hen harrier and we're determined to reach an agreement.
Thanks very much for your comments. I'll try to deal with a few key points:
Keith: the big difference between the EC dialogue was that it was about conflict resolution, Defra's action plan is designed to drive hen harrier recovery. That's why it's worth taking the effort to try to get the right plan in place. In the meantime we'll carry on doing what we can in monitoring and protecting hen harriers and working with the police to catch people who commit bird crime
Mr Ibis: hope to see you in another place soon
Paul: rightly or wrongly, we'll work with anyone to try to get a better deal for nature. Our Council, agreed our policy that stated in the absence of appropriate self-regulation, we would seek statutory controls to govern grouse shooting to deliver the environmental objectives we want. The poor state of our uplands, ongoing illegal killing and last year's shocking breeding season for hen harriers in England, led us to call for licensing of grouse shooting.
Captaincarot: we have long argued that public money (including the £15 billion of CAP money being given out over the next six years) should only be given in return for the delivery of public goods.
Redkit: glad you are going - sorry I won't see you there.
Mark: We have no intention of doing anything other than 'sticking to our guns' and achieving better outcomes for nature in the hills. That's why we remain committed to getting a hh plan that works, in raising standards through licensing and continuing to do what we can to tackle illegal killing. The hen harrier day that you are helping to organise will obviously be a moment where people can stand together against ongoing illegal killing. I hope that this is the turning point in the way that people treat our hills.
Whilst I am pleased that the RSPB is calling for the licensing of driven grouse moors (about time) I have to say that I am now completely in agreement with Mark Avery that the future well-being of our uplands requires a total ban on driven grouse shooting.
Regarding talking about Hen Harrier conservation, what did 6 years of the Environment Council hosted Hen Harrier Dialogue produce?
Living in a democracy means, in my opinion, that any agreement reached will always be a compromise. Mark is in an enviable position in being able to 'go for broke' in his petition and I fully support him and signed the petition (quite proud actually that I was in the first ten!). The RSPB position is much more complex and they have to tread more carefully as a charity. I have been very encouraged in the last couple of months to see them come out much more strongly and openly in support of raptor protection and their licencing approach to grouse moors.
If we all support Mark's petition wholeheartedly it will send a strong message to DEFRA and the government generally and if we end up with a 'compromise' such as the RSPB have put forward we have made some progress.
Sorry you can't make HH day Martin, but I look forward to seeing Mark and RK there.
No we don't all 'look forward to continuing our work with...the shooting community'. Why on earth is the RSPB still hand in glove with those who raise and shoot birds for private 'sport' and raze the countryside in the process, killing any other birds or mammals that interfere with their so called 'sport'.
We complain vigorously and rightly about the killing of birds in Malta,Italy and elsewhere, but don't dare to take on the vested interests of the shooting estates in our own land.
As 'redkite' says above, as a minimal first step we should include the Golden Eagle and I would add all other raptors.
I understand and reluctantly accept that we may have to take long overdue small steps, but our principle and total opposition to shooting birds for sport should be public and clear, not the tacit support for widfowling and birdshooting in general that is our current policy. I didn't join the RSPB to protect only some birds and shoot others, why are members views on this never aired in our magazine or canvassed from members? Who runs the RSPB, are our Council complicit in this approach to killing?
it is abundantly clear what the grouse shooting criminals consider to be an acceptable hen harrier population. controls are not required on hen harrier populations as 99% of what it should be does not exist. it should be a simple proposition from all conservation bodies concerned. this should also include our government. that is grouse farmers. obey the law or you will bring about the end of grouse farming. it makes a paltry and insignificant contribution to GDP.the first measure should be total removal of subsidy under CAP to any area of moorland which does not have a thriving population of it's indigenous avian predators.
public subsidy of criminals is a complete obscenity and one which this current government has seen fit to make even more obscene