2019

We respond to the announcement in February 2019 from Roseanna Cunningham MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, that the Eurasian or European beaver would be granted protected species status in Scotland from 1 May 2019.

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.

They support eighteen species of European or global importance, for example. Robbie Marsland, of the League Against Cruel Sports, and his friends at Revive, may not be fans of grouse shooting but suggesting we should neglect this precious heather habitat, in the name of ‘social justice’, is a bit extreme.

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.

A round-up of all our latest news, blogs and events.

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.