*Up to 10% of the entire UK breeding population of Egyptian Geese killed in a month, with more to follow
*Licence to kill 25 baby Great Tits *Licence to shoot Red Kites in ongoing battle between human activity and wildlife Just to keep you all in the loop regarding my latest Freedom Of Information requests from Natural England. I have now had a response to my first round of questions. Rest assured these were just the initial enquiries, there are many more licences which I will be asking them about in due course. So, last month I asked Natural England about three sample licences that they issued in 2019. One was to 'capture' or 'possess' Marsh Tits (together with Blue Tits and Great Tits), another was to exterminate Egyptian Geese, and the third was issued to shoot Red Kites. There were no real surprises in the information I received, although I do have several concerns which I'll outline below. I'd appreciate readers' views on these licences. Some of you may think they are justified, others may balk at the idea of killing any birds for 'scientific research' or even 'air safety', though they are of course contentious issues which give rise to strong opinions.. To summarise the three example licences then.... 'Invasive Species' : Up to 10% of the total UK breeding population exterminated in a month. The Egyptian Goose (actually a relation of the Shelduck), is a non-native species, introduced to the UK in the 17th century. Though never particularly successful at breeding here due in part to our cooler climate, they have nevertheless managed to survive in relatively modest numbers, mostly in Norfolk. The Egyptian Goose has never been a common sight in the UK. While populations in the UK are believed to be increasing, the IUCN red list suggests that, internationally, numbers of Egyptian Geese are decreasing and notes that "The species is persecuted by shooting and poisoning in parts of its range". Every reason to conserve - and celebrate - our naturalised colonies then you might think? But no, an EU directive in 2014 slapped an 'invasive alien species of union concern' label on these most attractive and intelligent birds. This regulation obliged EU member states to "take action to prevent introductions of the species and to manage existing populations" so, dutifully following orders, Natural England have been busy issuing licences to shoot Egyptian Geese, even though the modest UK populations have been quietly co-existing with other species here for three hundred years. Natural England's decision has led to the equivalent of 10% of the total UK breeding population of Egyptian Geese being exterminated in a little over a month last year, with the licence renewed to kill 200 more birds in 2020. Adult birds shot and goslings 'humanely despatched' The latest return figures for this individual licence suggest that 196 of the Geese were killed between February and March last year, adults being shot and goslings being 'humanely despatched' by the hunting party. Just to re-iterate, this is the equivalent of 10% of the total UK breeding population - exterminated in a little over a month. The figures were provided by the licence holders themselves, though as we know Natural England often relies on the 'good practice' of those carrying out the killing to report the final figures accurately. So who really knows how many birds have been killed.... As already mentioned, Natural England has renewed the licence meaning that hundreds more geese will be shot and 'humanely despatched' again this year. The licence holder also planned to employ the use of cruel Larsen traps as part of this year's cull. From treasured ornamental birds to persecuted aliens.....and hunters' prey It won't perhaps be long before those in power see their plan through to fruition and the species is eradicated from this country forever. Some invasive species clearly pose a risk to our native species and the environment (think Japanese Knotweed perhaps); this in my opinion, is not the case with the Egyptian Goose however. This seems to be an excuse for hunters to hunt. Licence to capture or possess 6,900 Marsh Tits, Blue Tits and Great Tits.... This licence was issued in the name of 'scientific research'. An applicant in Cambridgeshire was granted a licence to capture up to 1,500 red-listed Marsh Tits, 2,700 Blue Tits and 2,700 Great Tits using mist nets and funnel traps and to keep them temporarily contained until they produced faeces. This ongoing action is part of a 3 year research project. The aim of the project is two fold, according to Natural England's technical assessment, the motive being to "understand [the] link between microbiome and behaviour and any causal link, with a wider perspective relating to the use of antibiotics and prebiotics increasing in farmed landscape which birds have access to." This may be a valuable piece of scientific research, I'll leave that opinion to those more knowledgeable than myself. But there are still ethical questions here, and the inclusion of a red-listed species, however useful to science the findings may be, makes me uncomfortable. Concerns over repeated capture of birds While most of the birds would be released as soon as they had produced faeces, it is acknowledged that they would be recaptured regularly during the course of the experiment. And although most of the adult birds used in the research would only be held for a short period of time, one wonders what stress they must suffer, especially when they have been trapped again and again. This is something that worried Natural England too. I've seen an email trail in which they expressed their concerns over the repeated capture of the same birds over a period of time. Presumably these concerns were ultimately allayed as they approved the licence. Approval to take 25 baby birds from nests at 10 days old Natural England agreed that the same licence holder could remove 25 Great Tit fledglings from the wild at the age of 10 to 13 days and keep them in captivity for study. The licence holder told Natural England that: "At the end of the experiment, great tits will either be released if deemed safe to do so, or euthanised as a humane end point, in accordance with Home Office Licencing." This part of the application led to Natural England issuing a kill licence for 25 of the baby birds. Approval to 'capture' or 'possess' 6,900 wild birds And look again at the permitted numbers of birds covered by this licence, potentially 6,900 birds. Even accounting for re-capture of the same birds, it's a huge number. It's a factor that arises with so many of Natural England's licences. While responsible licence holders may well be in the majority, there will always be those less principled who will take advantage of the huge numbers of birds associated with the licences they have been given. This is particularly problematic with those licences issued to shoot large numbers of gulls for example, where we have seen in the past some evidence that the licence holders don't even seem to know the difference between species.... Approval to shoot Red Kites And that brings me to the third licence, issued for the shooting of Red Kites. Once faced with national extinction, the reintroduction of the Red Kite has been a rare conservation success story - but now we find it targeted again as it comes into conflict with human activity. History repeating? Natural England approved the shooting ('to aid scaring') of eight Red Kites, this year, under a licence that appears to have been active, in one form or another, since 2013. The killing of the birds is being carried out at an undisclosed airfield owned by the MOD, where the Red Kites pose a risk to aircraft using the runways. The 'problem' of local residents feeding the Kites has been cited as one of the reasons why the birds thrive in this 1000 acre environment. The Natural England member of staff who carried out a site visit noted that (quote) "I would estimate that the total number of kites seen on the day on and around the base easily exceeded 200 kites" which begs the obvious question, how killing eight of the birds will have any significant effect in reducing the threat to aircraft. Natural England's representative explained this decision: "Bird strikes have stayed at 1-3 per year for the last few years but the number of near misses involving fixed wing aircraft, both taking off and landing, is increasing year on year mirroring the increasing population of red kites." Clearly the problem of too many Red Kites at an airfield is not one that will go away. It seems that we can save a species from the brink of extinction, pat ourselves on the back for our noble conservation success - and then proceed to persecute it all over again if it happens to be in the wrong location. Interestingly, this same licence holder was apparently advised by a representative of Natural England to apply for the Red Kite licence because there had already been a 'separate issue with Curlews' at the same location. So, the first round of enquiries hasn't thrown up anything surprising, this kind of thing is what we have come to expect from England's nature watchdog. But it's further confirmation that conservation in the UK needs a radical re-think. Natural England are not always on the side of wildlife in this country. The badger cull alone is proof of this. And Natural England's authority over the licensing system still requires close monitoring if they are to continue in that role. Will Natural England be remembered for dubious conservation and poor decisions? Personally I think that Natural England's approach to wildlife control will ultimately come to be seen as an example of slapdash conservation and poor decision making. Even in rare situations where lethal control of wildlife might be deemed 'essential', my heart sinks at the thought of someone sitting at a desk, behind the closed doors of a government agency, ticking boxes (literally) and condemning hundreds or thousands of wild birds to death, sometimes simply for being an inconvenience to human activity. Some time ago, when I pressed them on the matter, Natural England told me that, of the thousands of applications they receive each year, only 10 to 20% are refused. That needs to change. Refusal of wildlife control licences should be the rule, rather than the exception. In this day and age we really should be doing everything we can to preserve wildlife - but persecution in one form or another continues unabated, and is often perpetrated by governments and organisations with vested interests in promoting extermination above conservation.
94 Comments
Campaign Update: Natural England To Answer Further Questions Over Contentious Bird Licences7/5/2020
The 'capture' or 'possession' of thousands of Blue Tits and Red Listed Marsh Tits and the taking of hundreds of Egyptian Geese for 'science, research and education' purposes.....
Natural England prepare to answer my latest round of questions over their licences..... I have now asked Natural England a set of questions relating to four licences that they issued last year. Thanks to those of you who trawled through the licence data and contacted me with your concerns. I did receive quite a number of responses so this is just the first set of enquiries I am raising with Natural England, more will follow. Licences to 'capture' or 'possess' Blue Tits and Marsh Tits..... Anyway, these initial questions relate to the 'capture' or 'possession' of thousands of Blue Tits and Marsh Tits, and the 'capture', 'killing' or 'taking of eggs' of potentially hundreds of Egyptian Geese all for 'science, research and education'. I've also asked about licences that allow the shooting of Red Kites in the name of 'air safety'. I put a set of specific questions directly to Natural England over these particular licences and they will be getting back to me with detailed answers soon. I was especially perplexed by the extraordinarily high numbers of Blue Tits and Marsh Tits covered by Natural England's licences, running into the thousands - something which really does require a very full explanation. Trade in Black-headed gull eggs a 'legitimate business activity' In other news, there was a huge response to my blog post about Natural England's approval of licences to take eggs from nests of amber listed Black-headed gulls, to supply gourmet restaurants and 'fine food' merchants, mostly operating in and around London. I subsequently asked Natural England about this trade in gull eggs and they told me that they "can't comment on the controversial nature of the trade, it's a legitimate business activity in the eyes of the law." Hmm, okay. I don't know if the collecting of gull eggs is something which has continued during lockdown. I did see Black-headed gull eggs advertised online a few weeks ago, though I can't find any now. With restaurants closed and their customers staying at home, perhaps the gulls have had something of a reprieve this year. 'Irrational' behaviour in an age of environmental enlightenment Other wildlife has not been so fortunate. Despite the lockdown, the frenzied destruction of ancient woodlands by HS2 goes on unabated, as does the enthusiastic strimming of wildflower verges by local councils up and down the country. This is 'essential work'? Really? Many of us consider this to be bizarre and irrational behaviour in an age of environmental enlightenment - but the human race is full of fools in high places.... Time to review more licences Well getting back to the licences, let's see what we make of the answers I get from Natural England over the four specific examples I have asked them about. I'll report back of course. With your incredible support, we will get to the nitty gritty of some of these licences and hopefully show that the time has come to review - and withdraw - them. Best, Jase |
If you appreciate what I write about, please consider showing your support by buying me a virtual coffee!
Click the button below! Thanks :) Archives
July 2023
|