Rural and Environment
In the news: Raptor persecution
July 16, 2019 by admin 3 Comments | Category Wildlife
You may have seen in the news and online, Chris Packham’s piece on Hen Harriers and raptor persecution on Scottish grouse moors.
In response a Scottish Government spokesperson said:
“The use of traps to target birds of prey is illegal and is of great concern. We would urge anyone with information to contact the police.
“We are determined to protect birds of prey and have established an independent group to look at how we can ensure grouse moor management is sustainable and complies with the law.
“The review is due to report later this summer and we will consider fully any recommendations or proposed actions put forward by the group.”
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Clearly alternatives to driven grouse shooting need to be phased in and DGS phased out/ banned. It is absolutely unsustainable and a great blemish on Scotland. It has now been exposed in its awfulness. I am retired and it has taken a lifetime to have my eyes opened to the reality of DGS hidden from scrutiny for so long. DGS also hasn’t a leg to stand on re the urgent climate change agenda ( just like the latest hen harrier casualty!) I have family in Scotland and I demand change for my grandchildrens’ sake.
I question the remit of the group.To all appearances, those who manage grouse moors are not interested in sustainability and will not comply with the law which cannot be adequately policed. Far too many birds of prey have been killed. The only way to adequately protect birds of prey is to perhaps ban grouse shooting all together, but certainly to introduce and above all implement far more serious punishments for deaths of birds of prey as to genuinely deter killing, such as forfeiture of land alltogether if birds of prey are killed on it. The common sense bottom line is, if you are determined to protect birds of prey then you need to honestly consider what will be effective to do it. You cannot now doubt that nature and the environment now are in serious retreat. You can no longer compromise protecting wildlife for the benefit of economic interests.
So that’s it then is it. Well done. You should all give yourself a pat on the back for the hard work you’re doing to recitify this urgent situation. Very impressed.