Thursday 31 July 2014

Guest Blog: How we can save Hen Harriers by Ian Coghill, GWCT Chairman

by Ian Coghill, Chairman, GWCT

The GWCT has a long and honourable history of finding practical and pragmatic solutions to conservation problems.

A problem which has proved more intractable than most is identifying how we can begin to sustainably rebuild Hen Harrier populations in England. To this end we have been working for over two years with a range of partners* under the direction of Defra to produce a Joint Recovery Plan for Hen Harriers.

This plan is now drafted and the GWCT believes that it is essential that it is put into the public domain as swiftly as possible so that it can be properly debated and hopefully implemented at the earliest opportunity.

To this end Andrew Gilruth, our Director of Communication, has launched an e-petition simply asking Defra to publish the Joint Recovery Plan. This is a comparatively simple thing to ask and the more people who sign the greater the likelihood that Defra will do so. Signing only takes a couple of minutes, it would be wonderful if you, and any of your friends or family who may want to, would  add your names to an already impressive number of people who have signed.

Click here to sign the petition and save Hen Harriers >

If you want to know more about the current controversy regarding Hen Harriers a great deal of relevant information is available here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you, I hope, for making the effort to sign.

* those involved in the Hen Harrier Joint Recovery Plan are: Natural England, the Moorland Association, the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, the National Park Authority and the RSPB.

Friday 25 July 2014

This week's GWCT blogs - Hen Harriers, CLA Game Fair, Kelloggs

A roundup of blog posts from across the GWCT this week:

Defra led Joint Action Plan for Hen Harriers - what the GWCT thinks (GWCT News)

GWCT's Phil Jarvis stars in new Kelloggs video (GWCT News)

Julian Gardner photo competition winners receive trophies at Game Fair (Peter Thompson's Blog)

2014 CLA Game Fair in pictures (GWCT News)

Sun, sea and stunning flowers! (Peter Thompson's Blog)

Sheep sharing (Allerton Research Blog)

Defra led Joint Action Plan for Hen Harriers - what the GWCT thinks

by Andrew Gilruth

Where has this plan come from?

In August 2012 Defra brought the moor owners, gamekeepers and conservation groups together1. The group went on to draft a six-point recovery package last year to get more hen harriers nesting successful in England.

What is in the hen harrier Joint Recovery Plan?

1) Law enforcement, prevention and intelligence led by a senior police officer
2) Ongoing monitoring of breeding sites and winter roosts
3) Research of the movement of hen harriers using satellite tracking
4) Diversionary feeding of hen harriers to reduce predation on grouse chicks
5) Engagement study about reintroducing them to other parts of England
6) Trial the temporary movement of hen harrier young to aviaries (also called ‘brood management’)

Want to read a full copy of it?

Sign the petition asking Defra to publish the Joint Recovery Plan >

So who supports the plan?

Most, and this means all sides, are not thrilled with every element. However, as a ‘package’ they appear to balance. Three points focus on crime; three focus on helping hen harriers on the ground. It is also interesting that they underpin sustainable conservation, which is founded on three principles: economic, social and environmental elements. This simple logic appears to have kept everyone at the table.

The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) encourages the police, Defra, Natural England, moorland owners, sporting tenants, gamekeepers, conservationists and volunteers to push on and deliver more breeding harriers in England.

At the 2014 CLA Game Fair, both Amanda Anderson (Moorland Association, Director) and Lindsay Waddell (National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, Chairman) stood in front of the press and said they were ready. BASC, Countryside Alliance and the CLA have added their support.

Last night Martin Harper (RSPB, Conservation Director) highlighted just a single concern with just one part, of one element, of the whole package.

So are we very nearly there?

Let’s certainly hope so. It appears the one outstanding point relates to when (not if) the trial of the temporary removal of hen harrier young to aviaries (brood management) should begin.
So the sticking point is a measure that would increase the number of hen harriers?

Yes. It appears ironic that whilst we live in an age where, in the words2 of one senior conservation scientist, that has worked for both the GWCT and the RSPB…

“Bird conservation programmes are increasingly focused around captive propagation and release, either for reintroducing species that have become locally extinct or to supplementing dwindling populations.” (Amar et al. 2000)

Indeed, captive propagation (brood management) has been used in France to help boost not only the hen harrier population but also that of the marsh and Montagu’s harrier. So the sticking point appears to be something that is an internationally recognised conservation tool that would help the hen harrier. Is that not exactly what we need?

Can we be certain the brood management of hen harriers will work? No. That is why it is only a trial. We need to establish if brood management works in practice.

Do we need brood management at all? Yes. We need to send a clear signal to the gamekeepers – they should have full confidence that we all want both hen harriers and sustainable grouse moors.

What are the risks of delay?

Defra has everyone agreeing that we need more hen harriers – it would be a shame to let it all unravel now. It feels to me like buying a house. It takes just one detail to collapse everything. Is it worth taking that risk? Who else is, now, going to start finding other small problems?

I feel it is a shame that the Defra-led Joint Recovery Plan was not launched before this year’s breeding season. We are where we are. Will it be launched before the next breeding season?

Why not show Defra your support for seeing the publication of a Joint Recovery Plan for hen harriers that could see them return across our skies?

Sign the petition asking Defra to publish the Joint Recovery Plan >


1 In August 2012 Defra officials established the Hen Harrier Sub-Group of the Uplands Stakeholder Forum including representatives from Natural England, the Moorland Association, the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, the National Park Authority and the RSPB.

2 Amar A., Arroyo B.E. & Bretagnolle V. (2000) Post-fledging dependence and dispersal in hacked and wild Montagu's harriers Circus pygargus. Ibis, 142, 21-28

Thursday 24 July 2014

GWCT's Phil Jarvis stars in new Kelloggs video

Following our recent hook-up with Kelloggs, the GWCT's very own Phil Jarvis stars in this video produced by Kelloggs, looking at 'where it all starts':



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Thursday 17 July 2014

This weeks GWCT blogs - brown hares, blackgrass, climate change, reshuffle

Take a look at this week's blog posts from across the GWCT:


Yet another Minister of the Environment to get to know! (Peter Thompson)

GWCT letter to The Times on brown hares published (GWCT News)

The Cotswold Grey Partridge Group - a winning team! (Peter Thompson)

Wildlife, food and climate change (Allerton Project)

There are two types of Otter increasing in the countryside! (Peter Thompson)

The Battle on Blackgrass (Allerton Project)



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Monday 14 July 2014

GWCT letter to The Times on brown hares published

This is our letter that was sent to The Times in full, published on Monday 14th July:

Dear Sir

Hares are fascinating creatures (letter July 11th). Unfortunately, In parts of the western side of the country, brown hares are not doing well, probably due to farms becoming less “mixed” (arable and grass).  Across much of the rest of the country hares are thriving and seem to be doing particularly well this year.

We have been running a 20-year study on brown hares, including radio tracking the species, on our research farm in Leicestershire. The results of the study are compelling. We created a diverse range of habitats and controlled foxes; in response hare numbers increased over 10-fold from 1992 to 2000.  Our research shows that foxes can systematically prey on and kill leverets(young hares) to such an extent that a fox family can eat the entire local population. As predicted, once we stopped  controlling fox numbers  the  population of hares dropped dramatically to almost zero, showing that good habitat alone is insufficient to maintain numbers to herald recovery.

Dr Alastair Leake
Director of Policy
The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust


FREE Brown Hare research guide


Click here to download your FREE Brown Hare research guide from the GWCT.





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Friday 11 July 2014

This week's blogs roundup - CLA Game Fair, pollinators, aliens, Scottish Game Fair

Check out this week's blog posts from across the GWCT:


8 reasons to visit the GWCT stand at the CLA Game Fair (GWCT Blog)

"Pollinators, Pollinators, Pollinators" - its all the rage you know! (Peter Thompson's Blog)

2014 Scottish Game Fair in pictures (GWCT Blog)

When is an alien not an alien? (Peter Thompson's Blog)

Latest Woodcock Watch tweets (Woodcock Watch)


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Tuesday 8 July 2014

8 reasons to visit the GWCT stand at the CLA Game Fair

18-20 July sees the great and the good of the Great British countryside visiting Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire for the 2014 CLA Game Fair and the GWCT will be there.

Here are 8 reasons to visit the GWCT stand:

1. Listen to informative talks on a range of subjects including woodcock and cover crops.

2. Watch live demonstrations delivered by our team of expert scientists and advisors.

3. Listen to Mike Clarke, CEO of the RSPB, discuss conservation on shooting estates.

4. Relax and join us for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or something stronger.

5. Make use of FREE wi-fi, provided by C&R Technologies*

6. Come and mingle with like-minded people who have similar interests.

7. Get £2.50 off a full English breakfast - download your FREE voucher here.

8. Get a FREE copy of Simon Gudgeon's beautifully illustrated book 'A Passion for Grouse' when you spend £100 or more in the shop at our stand.


*C&R Technologies are Fast Rural Broadband (20MBps) and Wi-Fi Specialists.

Installing systems 6 days a week right across the UK for both commercial and residential properties.

"We now have fast broadband at the farm! Thanks to C&R"Testimonial via Twitter from @wodehill,Farm, Bedfordshire - Oliver Hudson - June 2014.


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Friday 4 July 2014

This week's blog roundup - grouse & hen harrier guide, woodcock, free eBook

This week's blog posts from across the GWCT:


New Grouse Shooting & Hen Harrier guide (GWCT News)
 
A new, free eBook of 2013 "species of the month" now available! (Peter Thompson)
 
Guest Blog: Smithy's progress (Woodcock Watch)
 
Advice: so crucial to establishing top notch habitats (Peter Thompson)
 
Students' union (Allerton Project)
 
Wonderful Weather for Open Farm Sunday (Loddington Estate)
 

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Thursday 3 July 2014

New Grouse Shooting & Hen Harrier guide from the GWCT

With recent calls to license or even ban driven grouse shooting in order to help hen harrier numbers recover we have compiled a free guide that presents the key facts and figures surrounding the issue.

We hope the guide will help you make up your own mind on what the future should hold for driven grouse shooting.

In addition to the guide we have also produced a short survey where you can have your say.

Click here to get your FREE guide >

Click here to take our short survey >



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