GWCT News Blog

It's bizarre that anyone should feel ploughing up our heather moorlands is great idea (Grouse shooting is ‘least effective’ use of Scotland's land, December 10).

Government has implemented a hen harrier recovery plan that does address the conflict in England. Ironically, the RSPB is taking the Government to court this week to try and prevent plans to recover a species they claim to champion.

At present, no account is taken of the environmental loss resulting from development, so any attempt to offset is to be welcomed.

As already explained on the GWCT website the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS), to which the UK is a signatory, will be implemented in the next 18 months through 3 measures.

The Welsh environment minister, Hannah Blythyn, cancelled her meeting with the GWCT only days after we published a poll which revealed 61% of the Welsh public thought she was wrong to end pheasant shooting on some of their land.

This was odd because only months ago she wrote to Natural Resources Wales (NRW) stating that the Welsh Government policy on firearms must take into consideration public opinion here. Her office stated that since some organisations (not the GWCT) are taking her decision to court she can’t talk to anyone...