Defra’s Hen Harrier Action Plan - why the GWCT is not withdrawing

Hen Harrier And Diversionary Food www.lauriecampbell.com By Andrew Gilruth, GWCT Communications Director

The GWCT is extremely patient. We build genuine partnerships with those working on the ground – those managing farmland, game and forestry, who are able to deliver real results.

It can take time to agree to identify root causes of conflicts before then establishing the best way forward. Where we are trying to achieve multiple outcomes, this can take time. For example, a farm may seek to produce food to sustain us, profit for the farmer and support the local environment. At times these requirements can conflict – so, unless you are focused on a single outcome, it can take a great deal of hard work to address.

Defra harrier plan – multiple outcomes?

Yes. The Hen Harrier Action Plan published by Defra in January 2016 has two success criteria: more hen harriers in England and that “the harrier population coexists with local business interests and its presence contributes to a thriving rural economy”. Given that we know hen harriers can make a grouse moor uneconomical in just a few years, we feel it is entirely sensible the plan includes an already-tested raptor conservation tool to help hen harriers and red grouse thrive in the interests of both.

Has the full plan been implemented yet?

No. There is still some uncertainty about when two parts of the six-point plan will start. There is one working group that has only recently started working with landowners to consider the reintroduction of hen harriers, possibly from France, to suitable areas in the south of England. The other group is finalising the feasibility for trialling brood management – something the GWCT sees as a ‘remedy’ that unlocks the impasse the conflict creates, in other words a precursor to allowing hen harrier numbers to recover.

RSPB ‘withdrawing’ from the recovery plan?

Last month the RSPB reported that there were only three reported harrier nesting attempts in England this year but “We also remain committed to Defra’s hen harrier action plan. It would be premature to change tack based on early returns from a late season and it is in everyone’s interest for this plan to succeed.” And it would report again in September.

This month the RSPB has said it has decided to “withdraw support” for the action plan that it helped write and publish six months ago (but interestingly never chose to declare its support for) – because it doesn’t feel there has been enough “behavioural change” on moors over the last six months. It is not clear if the RSPB is now withdrawing from all parts of the plan – presumably it is not proposing to return its EU funding for satellite tagging? Let’s hope not – but it is free to do so if it wishes.

What’s in the action plan?

In January 2016 the government published its Hen Harrier Joint Action Plan. The GWCT, which has been deeply involved in the reconciliation of wildlife conflict between hen harriers and red grouse for over 30 years, welcomes this significant milestone, and we are still looking forward to its full implementation.

The six-point plan, developed by Defra (in conjunction with the RSPB, GWCT, Moorland Association, National Gamekeepers’ Organisation and the National Parks) will be led by Natural England to:

1. Monitor hen harrier numbers in England and the UK via satellite tagging and tracking;
2. Share best practice with land managers and gamekeepers, encouraging the provision of food for birds of prey;
3. Work closely with the Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group (RPPDG) to analyse intelligence on persecution and deliver more effective enforcement and deterrence measures;
4. Monitor and protect nests and winter roosts from disturbance and destruction;
5. Work with landowners to reintroduce hen harriers to suitable areas in the south of England;
6. Scope out feasibility for trialling brood management

After decades of patient waiting – the GWCT is not withdrawing its support.

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Comments

RSPB & Harriers

at 9:25 on 29/07/2016 by AECC

It is very disappointing to read that the RSPB has pulled out of supporting the Action Plan after a mere 7 months. Why did it bother being involved in the first place if it had no commitment to the Plan? This type of approach will require a minimum of 3 years to achieve anything. As G Chapman alludes, it would appear that the RSPBs main interest in raptors is revenue raising rather than population enhancement. In this case, it seems that the RSPBs other interest is attacking grouse shooting. As R Connelly asks, why cant Harriers support themselves away from grouse moors? Surely this is the question that should be addressed by the RSPB rather than just attacking grouse shooting. Here in the NE there are vast areas of seemingly suitable Harrier habitat which is not managed for grouse, owned by the private sector, the public sector (FC, Natural England & MoD) and the conservation sector (Wildlife Trust and, yes, the RSPB). If the RSPB et al cant work out how to ensure succesful Harrier breeding on all this land, then grouse moors seem the only hope for UK Harriers!

Hen Harriers

at 9:57 on 27/07/2016 by Phil Fairless

Good morning, What are the RSPB doing about yet another 'wind farm' on the Ray Estate in Northumberland where they have themselves, in the past few years, protected a Hen Harrier and Peregrine nests? There are presently yet another 16 monster bird choppers being erected on this well known Hen Harrier nesting and hunting ground and anecdotal evidence from a Derbyshire couple who watched a Hen Harrier being killed by a turbine on this estate. They are objecting to an offshore wind farm to protect Gannets of which there is a healthy population, what have they got against Hen Harriers? They have stated "The RSPB supports renewable energy in the right places"! Astonishing. Phil Fairless.

Hen Harrier Action Plan

at 21:25 on 26/07/2016 by Giles Chapman

Such a shame. Just when it looked like the RSPB had ditched ideology for common sense. Its a sad fact that there is more money for the RSPB in conflict than resolution. I look forward to hearing more once the media black out is lifted. Its is a real pity that they forgot about the birds. A once well respected organisation brought low by a few.

Hen harrier action plan

at 19:54 on 26/07/2016 by Robert Connelly

So once again the rspb withdraw from a difficult but not impossible situation. If, as it seems, harriers cannot support themselves away from grouse moors the question has to be why. Surely grouse moor management is key to their survival so the shooting community are pivotal in this situation. This continuous attitude from the rspb is guaranteed to completely alienate the shooting industry leading to continued hostile relations. They must rescind this decision, extend an earnest olive branch and collectively act in a far more adult fashion

Demanding such high grouse densities is the problem

at 15:11 on 26/07/2016 by Steve

When you say that brood removal is seen by GWCT as ''....a precursor to allowing hen harrier numbers to recover...'', are you surprised that some people see this as some sort of bribe or ransom - illegal killing and disturbance to hen harriers will continue - we will no allow hen harriers to recover - until we're allowed to remove harrier broods from driven grouse moors....? It's quite simple: driven grouse moor management has been intensifying more and more in the last decade, in order to allow the build up of extraordinary densities of red grouse, and having hen harriers in the area scuppers achievement of these extraordinarily high densities. This is a problem unique to DRIVEN grouse shooting - walked up shooters do not demand such high densities of grouse; other shoots do not expect very high densities of quarry species. Driven grouse shooting is creating an extraordinary problem for decent shooting people. It's time GWCT recognised this and attempted to moderate the demands of driven grouse shoots, for the sake of the shooting community as a whole.

Hen Harrier Action Plan

at 13:56 on 26/07/2016 by Ian Whittaker

I supported the RSPB's decision to sign up to the Hen Harrier Action Plan and now support the decision to withdraw. I thought let's give the shooting community a chance to demonstrate its commitment and to give credibility to its claims about being a force for conservation good. We could at least expect persecution incidents to reduce, for grouse moors and their lobbyists to wave the banners about what they were doing and to have a little more hen harrier breeding success. Rather than simply setting out the plan’s key points and referencing a couple of actions that will take a while to establish, why do you not set out some clear evidence of how grouse moors are implementing the other actions that could start immediately? How about some examples of diversionary feeding; early finish to burning; clear instructions to grouse moor managers about protecting & reporting hen harriers; actual reporting and monitoring of hen harrier activity and explicit action relating to persecution incidents. Unless a few English grouse moors have something up their sleeves, we will have seen none of this. For this not to happen in the first year just when one should expect all the stops being pulled out to justify this as the only way of saving the hen harrier, is strange to say the least. I don't believe the lack of breeding success and no perceptible decrease in persecution incidents is down to the weather, lack of voles or rogue gamekeepers. Even with heavy natural predation in other places where Hen Harriers breed, there is more success here than on grouse moors where we should expect the opposite to be true with intensive predator control. The simple truth seems to be that there is no serious intent for change. It is understandable why GWCT does not wish to withdraw. Rather than working from a position where there are 300+ hen harrier pairs breeding on our Northern English grouse moors, we will be lucky to see 3 successful nests and none on a grouse moor. I suppose it is natural for grouse moor managers to take the view that there is not a problem, the plan is working fine and then castigate the RSPB for choosing to withdraw. If there were 300+ hen harriers on our northern moors, I should be quite happy for the GWCT to withdraw.

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