March

A new paper underlines the importance of unlocking the conflict that has driven the illegal killing of harriers, a point first made by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust in 1998.

Last year the RSPB asked the High Court to clarify if Natural England’s decision to issue a licence to trial hen harrier brood management was lawful. On Friday 15 March Mrs Justice Lang DBE provided that reassurance.

The High Court in London has issued the result of a judicial review into Natural England’s decision to grant a licence to allow brood management of hen harriers.

Isla Hodgson is absolutely right to say that efforts to resolve the conflict between hen harriers and grouse moors have so far focused on two areas: diversionary feeding and legislation.

Carefully managing broods of harriers to unlock this proven conflict is eminently sensible and one of the reasons why it has been used around the world for a range of other species.