"Perhaps the killing of these birds is justified - maybe House Sparrows viciously attack people? Perhaps Coots are dangerous; maybe their shy and bashful demeanor masks a terrible and menacing behaviour?........put our minds at rest over why Natural England considers it appropriate to permit hundreds and hundreds of them to be (in agency parlance) 'lethally controlled'....."
It has been a long road since I first set up a petition calling for an investigation into the activities of the Government's Nature Agency Natural England. More than 320,000 people have so far lent their support to our campaign which calls, not only for increased protection for our birds, but also for more transparency of Natural England's licencing system and much more rigorous monitoring of the licences that they issue. So far the petition has resulted in the agency agreeing to publish, annually, full details of all licences issued - a major success. But it's just a first step. The campaign has raised some serious concerns over the agency's activities. As the petition gained support, I began to research Natural England's licencing system in more depth. It wasn't easy, requiring a freedom of information request to obtain even basic data. Among the truly mind boggling statistics that my research uncovered were those outlining the number of House Sparrows and Coots that the agency had permitted to be shot. It baffled me that these harmless and much loved birds could ever pose any kind of a threat; so why, I wondered, had Natural England issued licences to kill these two birds (and many others) in significant numbers? Promised Data Delayed as Chaos Takes Over The Agency It was one of the specific questions I raised when I had discussions last month with Natural England's Director of Operations, James Diamond. He promised to get back to me with the exact numbers of Sparrows and Coots killed and the reason why permissions had been given for lethal control of hundreds and hundreds of these gentle and entirely harmless birds. That was more than a month ago. Since then I've been informed that every single member of staff is now busy dealing with the fallout caused by the sudden withdrawal of three general licences after a legal challenge over these licences threw the agency into complete disarray. The result being that the information I've been promised will be delayed. "Right now I have asked the team to pause everything except general licensing work," Mr Diamond told me a few days ago, "we will respond to your questions on house sparrows and coots as I undertook when we spoke." Distinctly Unimpressed But the chaotic state of Natural England is not our problem, it is theirs. So I am distinctly unimpressed that, after a month, we are still waiting for some important data that really should have been readily available. And if this data is not readily available then why not? Providing such straightforward information should not present a challenge for a government department whose job it is to issue and monitor the licences. And yet it seems to be proving difficult for them, which is very worrying indeed. Because if the Director of Operations himself cannot locate and provide the details after a whole month, then one begins to wonder if the system really works. It looks to an outsider as though Natural England is a sinking ship, managed by an overworked and/or bungling crew. Are House Sparrows And Coots A Threat To The Public? We Need To Know... The requested information is very important. It might shed light on the rationale behind Natural England's decisions to officially permit the killing of hundreds of Sparrows and hundreds of Coots. I chose to highlight these species because they are representative of the birds that are being killed. These are not controversial species. They clearly don't pose a threat to aircraft safety or public health. These are innocuous species that were once among the most familiar birds in the country but seem to be rapidly disappearing from our towns and countryside. Perhaps the killing of these birds is justified - maybe House Sparrows viciously attack people? Perhaps Coots are dangerous; maybe their shy and bashful demeanor masks a terrible and menacing behaviour? All I want is for Mr Diamond to put our minds at rest over why Natural England considers it appropriate to permit hundreds and hundreds of them to be (in agency parlance) 'lethally controlled'. Eyebrows Raised At Delay... I was happy that Natural England were willing to talk. They seemed at last to be open to discussion and I was hopeful of working with them and being able to express the concerns of the British public over the agency's managing of our wildlife. But for now we just wait. Questions might be raised if the data is not forthcoming soon. Eyebrows are already being raised at the very fact that, a month after they were promised (no matter how busy agency staff may be), some fairly straightforward licencing statistics remain unavailable.....
27 Comments
Sanzanipolo
13/5/2019 03:21:10 pm
Classic response by entrenched privilegiados under threat of discovery is to slow everything up.
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John
13/5/2019 04:34:56 pm
Yes, they're probably trying to come back with some drummed up story as a cover-up.
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roy mead
13/5/2019 06:49:56 pm
Of course they can ignore it they are civil servants and are trained to ignore things, lose things put files on the bottom of the pile in fact do anything they can not to change anything it is always a long hard battle even if it is absolutely obvious that what they are doing is ridiculous, but keep pushing your doing great
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Its clear why its taking so long to get in touch,they know they have been doing wrong & dont want to face the music! They are idiots! need disbanding & qualified conservationists & ecologists to take rtheir place.Its infuriating when many of us are trying to help & save our beleaguered birds I am trying to help sparrow numbers &.I now have many nests in mygarden including the RSPB sparrow terrace ,all occupied with families of sparrows & then to read about these NE vandals willy nilly issuing killing licenses is outrageous!
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Amanda
14/5/2019 11:50:49 pm
You really are an urban hero. There are so many injustices in this world and people are too ready to think that they are powerless to do anything. The Berlin Wall would still be there is it wasn’t for people power. Jason, keep going. We are all behind you!
Glyn
13/5/2019 03:21:38 pm
Unfortunately large organisations seem to get away with non compliance especially if the data is undermining to them. I have been waiting for 4 yrs plus for data from the NCA and also from the organisation that gatekeeps information put in court papers......the ICO will not prosecute these groups, as they all collude and protect themselves.....
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Joyce williams
13/5/2019 03:22:05 pm
I thought sparrows had become endangered? Also I was reading about crows attacking lambs so if the licence for killing them has changed maybe farmers are making a fuss which natural England have to deal with
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Sue Brooks
13/5/2019 03:29:30 pm
Absolutely disgusting, but all to typical.
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peter
13/5/2019 03:32:25 pm
Don't know the detail and you may know all of this already.
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13/5/2019 03:37:54 pm
I love all birds and think they should be left alone, (with a little help from their friends) to get on with their lives. They don't have it easy. I understand fromTV that House Sparrows are in decline along with many others and am thrilled to see those who nest in their 'HOTEL' fledge and tiny birds race about the garden for a few days before going off to seek their fortunes.. I am disgusted that Natural England can licence the killing of any bird.
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13/5/2019 09:52:30 pm
I saw a pair of sparrows a few weeks ago, the first I've seen for years! ALL government employees should be accountable for their actions, or LACK of them. Ultimately there should be an independent body to deal with monitoring. It's disgusting how these people think that they are gods!
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Denise
13/5/2019 03:45:41 pm
Personally, I don't think there could ever be a vaild reason to take the life of a wild bird.
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Marjorie
13/5/2019 04:00:22 pm
Some scum out there don’t need an excuse to kill any bird or animal. They just want to kill because they are evil. All birds, all animals have a right to live as much as we do. So killing of all living creatures should be stopped, we are all gods creatures after all.
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john
13/5/2019 04:07:47 pm
Culling of crows and magpies should be encouraged not stopped. The decline of song birds and small native birds is directly related to the number of these pest species, Grasshoppers and other large insects are also being wiped out by the black plague . We need to act now and increase the cull.
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ELISABETH SWAINSON
13/5/2019 04:29:29 pm
Surely humans are the main reason for decline of many of our birds in the UK due to loss of habitat,poisons etc.Also the netting and shooting of migrating song birds and swallows etc by other countries.
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Gaz
13/5/2019 08:42:42 pm
Yeah I think that's correct.
Marian
13/5/2019 04:51:20 pm
Totally disagree with this.
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Alan
14/5/2019 09:52:33 am
John - I'm afraid your comment is simply factually incorrect.. There have been serious scientific studies into this which concluded that predation by crows and magpies was not a factor in the declines of small songbirds.
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Andrea
13/5/2019 04:38:17 pm
I have a tree in my garden dedicated to bird feeders. It is alarming how few sparrows I see. Years ago there were great numbers. I also see a robin, a pair of starlings (also in severe decline), 2 pairs of blackbirds, a few tits (and I mean few), 3 pairs of jackdaws, a pair of magpies, and a few woodpigeons. All of these seem to get on with no killing by the supposed predators. All these birds are severely depleted and should be protected and encouraged and certainly not shot. I live in a semi rural village in Hampshire surrounded by fields, so I would have expected more birds.
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Debbie Macmillan
13/5/2019 05:40:08 pm
Have read your new post above along with the comments. I have also re-shared your petition and Natalia Doren's.
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Alex
13/5/2019 06:33:04 pm
It is good that you have passed on the petition. However, almost nothing that you have posted has the slightest relevance to this, specific issue. Please focus on this task, this year.
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Ian
13/5/2019 05:59:38 pm
As I understand it, this shooting of birds is a yearly task undertaken to keep down the large predatory birds such as Rooks and their species relatives, who attack small garden birds and the rarer species found throughout the countryside in wilder habitats.
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13/5/2019 06:24:08 pm
Ian,
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Alex
13/5/2019 06:30:15 pm
Rooks are not predators on small garden birds. They are specialist, probers of short grassland, which is why they have faces free of feathers. Be accurate, all you are doing is helping the other side.
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Alex
13/5/2019 06:26:36 pm
I agree with almost all of the comments here. However, please keep on task. This is not about bird liming and netting anywhere from France to Greece. The concern here is specifically English. A Government Agency is handing out permissions to kill for species which generally have special protection. Coots are part of the UK fresh water lake ecosystem. They feed on aquatic plants and the invertebrates naturally present. I am not aware of any downside to that species, although it will probably compete with Grebes. Shooting etc. Birds of prey which have been re-populated, in England, at great expense (Red Kite), and effort, is quite clearly ridiculous, even if only from the economic viewpoint. I could go on. The real problem is that the people employed on various tasks in Government Offices and in NGOs are quite literally semi-qualified imbeciles. Most of them have never seen many of the species of concern, let alone understand their ecology. This is sad but true. Another continuing problem is the concentration span of the concerned public. Always a problem, but with the use of smart phones even worse. Keep the pressure on, but right now most idiots in the UK are more interested in the fortunes of Man City and Liverpool. That is why I left that country, but sadly the ecological situation is the same everywhere if not worse. This is not about people's bird tables, it is a big picture problem, and population numbers are the important criteria.
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Pamela Allen
14/5/2019 10:52:33 am
The public must form a separate body to oversee hold to account all bodies then there would be no ground to deny immediate access to relevant information - in the public interest. Indeed this is applicable to every aspect of our life. We have allowed and relied upon ineffective public servants and charities and individuals to oversee the most essential aspects to all our and our future generations lives - its about time this changed. Might I suggest, like the public body who got to the bottom of the Hillsborough debacle and miscarriage of Justice a similar approach - to set up a leading public authority on UK wildlife and bird conservation consisting of, as Alex suggests, knowledgeable authorities and members of the public who demonstrate a keen interest in the subject matter to act as overseers - perhaps funded from several sources including public funding, charity and lottery. We must implement an improved system to help stop and prevent wildlife decimation before it is too late. Congratulations to Jason for bringing and pursuing this rightful cause.
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Alex
14/5/2019 06:50:34 pm
An outstanding contribution from Pamela. Thank you. She has made very well reasoned suggestions for the way forward. The essential thing required, when specific answers emerge from Natural England, are scientific arguments. I have checked many of the reasons for killing licences. Two emerge as "front runners ". One is summarised as Aircraft Safety. This one is difficult to refute. Remember the Drone at Gatwick debacle? The plain fact is that this argument can be used with any bird at all, including flocks of Goldcrests! The licences were for birds a lot larger than drones, including Peregrines and Red Kites. The other common cause of Lethal Licensing was danger to Public, or Agricultural Health. This is a minefield because of the range of possible pathogens involved. Anything from Clostridium botulinum via H5N1 Influenza virus ("Bird flu" ) to Pasteurellosis in Coots, possibly the reason for that species being shot. If this campaign is ultimately to be successful then we must win their arguments with logical, scientific refutations. Natural England are arrogant, they feel entitled - as someone else here has pointed out, and they insultingly have ignored the huge response to this petition. Personally, for the present, I would restrict Pamela's suggestions to a hardcore of concerned people involved in the exchanges here, with various skills and knowledge bases, in order to be prepared for the next phase of obfuscation from Natural England. The only way to win is to beat them at their own game.
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