Hi folks,
As we approach winter and the close of this very strange year, I thought I'd just assess where we are up to, campaign-wise. Since my last update there hasn't been much to report and we now await the publication of Natural England's licence data for 2020 which should be available in March 2021. That will prove whether Natural England have taken on board our suggestions and cut down on the number of licences they issued. I'm hopeful.... Signs are good.... The signs are good, though not yet validated. In his recent blog post, David Slater, Natural England's Director for Wildlife Licensing & Enforcement Cases, points out that despite high demand for bird control licences, in some situations at least, fewer licences were actually granted. For example, Natural England approved 'very few' individual conservation licence applications for rural herring gulls and lesser black-backed gulls (note the reference to 'rural' gulls). We will be able to see just how few 'very few' means when the data is published. Meanwhile he says that "We are currently analysing the urban gull survey that took place this year to refine our gull licensing approach in the built environment". Well, back in June I welcomed the news that Natural England was finally acknowledging a steep decline in gull populations, though I saw no sense in protecting only 'rural' gull populations while allowing the persecution of urban gulls. It seemed typical of the cockeyed 'logic' we had come to see from Natural England, who I suggested, had themselves been complicit in the sharp decline of some types of gull, to the extent that the Herring Gull for example was now on the red list of threatened species. Perhaps this plan to 'refine the gull licensing approach' to include urban gulls shows that they listened. But why does it take this organisation so long to notice the patently obvious? It's very frustrating. An official post from DEFRA on the government website says that individual licensing to control herring gulls and lesser black-backed gulls "will require strong evidence of proportionality in order to ensure that there is no detrimental effect on overall populations". As for other species, well it will be a matter of waiting to see the figures. I'm cautiously optimistic, and I have no doubt that any reduction in the numbers of licences that Natural England issued in 2020 would be largely as a result of our campaign. But let's not pat ourselves on the back just yet..... Populations of countryside birds have plummeted Meanwhile a report from DEFRA, published this month suggests that populations of some birds, especially those referred to as 'farmland birds' and 'woodland birds' have plummeted in recent years. To most of us this is no surprise, with the removal of hedgerows and the industrialisation of our countryside. Nevertheless it makes for depressing reading. So, if we find that Natural England is indeed listening to public concerns over its activities and issuing fewer licences then it is of course great news for the birds, and for our campaign. DEFRA: facilitating the casual killing of wild birds? But our attention must then turn to DEFRA themselves who dramatically took over the general licences last year (from Natural England) after a very public pantomime that highlighted the problems with both organisations. We can take the Jay as an example of just how disorganised the whole sorry system of bird control licensing is in England. As Dr Mark Avery recently reported on his blog, while Natural England remain responsible for the licensing of Jay control on SSSI sites (sites of special scientific interest), they claim to have issued very few licences to control this species. Which is great..... until we see that DEFRA have included the Jay in general licences from January 2021, meaning in essence that (outside of SSSI and a few other sites) any number can be killed - and without having to formally apply for a licence (general licences require no formal application - see here). Dr Avery concludes therefore that "the DEFRA general licence ‘authorises’ unlimited, countrywide, Jay-killing..." So, there is much to be sorted out and clarified. Perhaps the easiest solution would be to remove the task of wildlife licensing entirely from Natural England and DEFRA, both of which have failed to prove themselves capable of the job. It seems progress is being made, albeit very slowly, at Natural England, but we have to maintain a careful watch over its activities - together with those of DEFRA, lest they morph into nothing more than facilitators enabling the mindless killing of our wild birds. Please keep sharing our petition, click HERE Best, Jase
28 Comments
mike mccarthy
29/11/2020 02:56:15 pm
\Hi,
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Rod
29/11/2020 04:54:35 pm
I suggest somebody goes round and throws him off the balcony...
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Joanna Roseff
29/11/2020 05:04:06 pm
So report him to the police - he probably gets pleasure from hurting other things/people than wild birds. Shame you don't the evidence anymore.
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Keith Dancey
29/11/2020 09:08:12 pm
If you were telling the truth you would have reported all of the incidents to the Police.
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MISS JILL P BULMAN
30/11/2020 03:53:41 pm
Like most people here I value everything that moves in nature as it is has developed for a purpose in nature's ecology. It is difficult to understand how or why human beings have become so cruel, sadistic towards each other as well as everything else that moves.The RSPCA has to collect enough evidence to prove cruelty, not hearsay. To take any case to court costs money. If enough people saw what this mentally disturbed man does, they may be able to collect enough evidence to do so, using videos, photos etc that would help them alot.
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trev
29/11/2020 02:56:58 pm
I've always had an affinity for Jays, since childhood, they are such beautiful birds, I love to see them.
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Rod
29/11/2020 04:57:50 pm
Got three regular visiting Jay's in my garden.
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MISS JILL P BULMAN
30/11/2020 04:02:11 pm
I have only even seen one in my garden in Bromley and I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. I put out peanuts and seed for birds, squirrels but I have never seen him again. Since they cleared the pigeons out of Trafalgar Square I got more and more of them sitting on my roof during the day - my neighbours didn't like that and told me to stop feeding the birds! However, I can't bear bullies or being bullied by the ignorant. 1/12/2020 12:28:47 pm
Agree! A favourite harmless bird, loved ever since reading Beatrix Potter's 'The Tale of Mr Tod' as a young child.
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Alastair MacLeay
29/11/2020 02:58:18 pm
Hello Jason
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Carole R (London)
29/11/2020 03:07:18 pm
There is indeed much work to be done to stop this culling but though I live in the city I'm supporting you the best way I can. Good luck in your endeavours.
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Marcia Cox
29/11/2020 03:18:37 pm
The only birds that cause a real problem are Herring Gulls.
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Geraldine Eardley
29/11/2020 04:39:08 pm
I really don’t agree. I love gulls despite the 2 that nest on our roof, who do make a fair bit of early morning noise.The main attraction for gulls initially was the amount of rubbish, food wrappings etc left by us humans. ‘Our gulls’ still seem to fish and we never have problems with them searching for food. As a young girl, gulls weren’t in towns or built up areas but neither was there any litter or food waste easily accessed.
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Squirrel Manning
29/11/2020 04:54:46 pm
I disagree that 'some are pests to be culled and others not.' I like all types of gulls and humans are the ones destroying the planet, not gulls, but you don't seem to advocate culling humans I note! Even rats have their places, food for foxes etc. I actually enjoy seeing rats running around in our local park, like a ratty EastEnders. So funny that grey squirrels will chase each other off but tolerate rats perfectly well. As long as they are not in human homes or businesses, what is the harm?
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MISS JILL P BULMAN
30/11/2020 04:10:19 pm
I agree with you about generally needless culling. I suppose sometimes in nature things can become a bit unbalance as in the case of locusts, fleas and so on in certain places. As for humans, well, they cull themselves, don't they?! Disease spread by human lice and fleas, murders, wars, and using and abusing wildlife as in the meat markets of China - using animals best left in the wild and in the countries many originally were living. Covid proves the points as have other similar diseases in the past.
Stephen A
29/11/2020 05:39:35 pm
Marcia, the fact that you can't even string a coherent, grammatically correct sentence together speaks volumes about your level of intelligence, which is also perfectly summed up by your factually incorrect ramblings and ignorant views. And who on earth feeds birds T-bone steak??!
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Edward Barratt
29/11/2020 03:22:44 pm
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/10/natural-england-cut-to-the-bone-and-unable-to-protect-wildlife-staff-claim-aoe
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Wildlife Angels
29/11/2020 03:29:12 pm
Dear Jason
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Nick Drew
29/11/2020 03:34:54 pm
Hi Jason
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Ms YVONNE E FAWCETT
29/11/2020 04:44:48 pm
Hi Jason,
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Joyce williams
29/11/2020 05:17:57 pm
Hi Jase Thanks for all your hard work to save the birds. Glad you are keeping an eye on natural England and Defra. We have lots of gulls here in New Brighton ,Wallasey. They come to my garden to feed. The magpies give way to them until they have fed.
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Charmian Goldwyn
29/11/2020 05:29:19 pm
I cannot understand people who murder birds. They are so beautiful and interesting to watch. Our children will not understand how we stood by while others were so brutal as to kill our fellow creatures.
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Sharon
29/11/2020 05:55:06 pm
My thoughts are, yes DEFRA as well as Natural England do not really give a fig about our wildlife or our concerns. A proper 'body' of true wildlife hero's should be in control, those who care and understand nature and the requirements as well as having the powers to punish and prosecute those who think it's ok to abuse OUR WILDLIFE.
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Irene Leggett
29/11/2020 07:43:46 pm
Its noted that Defra now issues licences to kill our wild birds, lets not forget that they also allow approximately 57 MILLION - YES 57 million - NON NATIVE hand-reared pheasants and partridges to be released ready for the SHOOTING SEASON that starts in October. They're quite happy for gun-toting, trigger-happy hunters to blast these half-tame birds, often leaving piles of carcasses to rot in pre-dug pits or just in piles in the fields.....so I really don't think they'll have any thoughts about issuing licences to anyone who applies.
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Tim Burke
30/11/2020 11:27:45 am
Surely, Irene, you are not suggesting that DEFRA is in thrall to the shooting industry? If so, how can we expect Natural England to protect wildlife since they became a branch of Defra. Could Mark Avery be correct in saying that Natural England has been starved of funds (and de-nuded of conservationists) since being absorbed into DEFRA?
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Richard C
30/11/2020 11:27:05 am
So glad you linked the horrific destruction and or decimation of hedgerows in England to the decline in birds and of course other wifldlife. All too often it seems to me the habitat of wildlife is overlooked. I have watched hedgerows cut to an inch of their life in the past few years. I only hope that the issue rises up agendas as wildlife depends on them both as nesting habitat and means of passing safely from area to area. The farming industry with a few notable exceptions is responsible for this and it got much worse over the past decade. They are not called out on it enough,
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Geoff Carefoot
3/12/2020 12:09:51 am
Well done with your continuing efforts to highlight this nonsense.
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