Sir,
Natural England’s decision to suspend pest control licences, before having replacements in place, may have caused consternation in the rural community (letter, Apr 25) but for our highest priority conservation species, such as the curlew, it is an outrage. One large scale European review found that 70% of curlew nests were not able to hatch a single chick due to predation. It’s bizarre Natural England appear unaware that conservationists trap and remove crows to protect the chicks of our most threatened species. As a result, all such traps are now being removed across England at the very moment curlew need our protection the most – when they are nesting.
Andrew Gilruth
Director of communications GWCT
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