Natural England has ruled out a review of its notoriously controversial falconry licences, which enable the hunting of red listed birds including Skylarks, House Sparrows, Lapwings, Mistle Thrush and Fieldfares - for 'sport'.
Hunting songbirds continues There was a huge public outcry after I revealed that the UK government's nature watchdog, Natural England, is busy issuing licences to hunt and kill some of our rarest and most treasured wild birds, for the purposes of sport. Along with the widespread condemnation, there was disbelief that rare birds can be legally hunted as 'quarry' in England. Under the current licensing rules, falconers can choose to hunt and kill a range of native birds, including seven that are 'red listed', of the highest conservation concern. No plans for licence review So I asked Natural England if they would at least consider removing the most endangered red-listed species from the licences. But in a blunt statement, Natural England has rejected any immediate review. They told me that "There are no plans to review falconry licensing in the short term". That was all they said on the matter, twelve words, and there are no signs that their inflexible stance will change any time soon. Meanwhile the officially endorsed hunting of our rare songbirds continues, which I think is a scandal. Ongoing campaign to stop gulls eggs being guzzled by wealthy diners... I have also been pushing for a complete end to the grotesque harvesting of Black-headed gull eggs, which are 'traditionally' collected in huge numbers to supply high society dining establishments and elite fundraising events, including the annual Gulls' Eggs Luncheon in support of the Cure Parkinsons charity. This dubious trade in gull eggs is enabled by Natural England who issue licences to collect the eggs. Regular readers will know that, following pressure from our campaign, the licences were suspended at the main harvesting areas in Hampshire ahead of last year's breeding season, though a limited number of licences were still being issued in Yorkshire. I strongly suggested to Natural England that these remaining licences should be withdrawn without any further delay, but they are insistent on carrying out an 'assessment', with a view to making a decision shortly. I was somewhat irked when Natural England's Head of Wildlife Licensing Service informed me earlier this week that "black-headed gulls can produce multiple egg clutches and continue to breed successfully following egg harvesting." As though that is a valid reason to take eggs from the nests of wild birds - merely to satisfy the appetites of a privileged section of society. My response to this was "the fact that they can produce multiple egg clutches is not reflected in their conservation status, which as you know is currently amber. So they are not doing well as a species. Human consumption of their eggs is hardly essential, therefore I can see no valid reason for Natural England to continue to support this practice." 'Sensitive' issue - or is it? When I announced the withdrawal of the Hampshire licences, in a blog post last year, I was asked by Natural England to 'word it sympathetically' to enable them to 'manage' stakeholder communications and sensitivities - they seemed worried about offending certain individuals or groups; but there was none of the backlash that Natural England feared, with establishments apparently just substituting the gull eggs with quail eggs - proving that nobody is really that bothered about eating gull eggs in the first place and that there is no good reason for the anachronistic practice to continue - let alone be supported by England's nature agency. Honestly it's like banging one's head against a brick wall sometimes. This isn't rocket science, nobody should be eating the eggs of an amber listed species, surely? It seems patently obvious. I'm awaiting Natural England's response once they have 'assessed' the situation. Anyway, hope everyone is doing well, I think I can safely say that Spring has now arrived (?), although last time I said that we had a foot of snow dumped on us, so I'm wary about tempting fate! Thanks everyone for your support, further updates in due course. The campaign continues!
40 Comments
Helen Amys
2/4/2023 12:38:06 pm
I fully support what you are doing and will help anyway I can. All of our birds should be protected and not killed for "sport"
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Lynette Anderson
2/4/2023 03:22:31 pm
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england
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Maureen Paulin
2/4/2023 03:38:47 pm
More needs to be done by governments across the earth to stop construction and use empty buildings more
Maureen Paulin
2/4/2023 03:34:41 pm
We must stop all this construction and enjoy all wildlife
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Sangita Squires
2/4/2023 07:24:26 pm
These men should be penalized, even imprisoned, if life of any 'other'; is so worthless in their blinkered sight. Luckily there are good men, but so many heartless ones, putting profit & greed before the right to life of others. I'm looking forward to a more enlightened age, which I believe is coming. Where is the love in their hearts, & I pity their wives & offspring!
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Elaine Tildesley
2/4/2023 09:58:00 pm
UNNATURAL England are just a bunch of over privileged prat’s, who don’t give a toss about saving our beautiful birds, or anything else beautiful, just so long as their over privileged hooray Henry friends can have a shooting get together and then dine out on unnecessary and cruel foods. What a load of tossers!
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Tim Burke
6/4/2023 11:15:38 pm
Elaine. You are wrong. Misguided insults are counter-productive. Many of Natural England's employees are poorly paid, well qualified naturalists who wouldn't dream of having a shooting get-together. They do, however, have to work within government constraints in a department that is within DEFRA.
Vernon Taylor
3/4/2023 09:30:55 pm
It is long past time Britain's native biodiversity was protected in it's entirety - it is only in it's current sorry state because of excessive human interference and pressure from both our national overpopulation and a world population more than double that reckoned to be a sustainable level.
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Simon Bullas
2/4/2023 12:49:45 pm
Keep up the good work. With Teresa Coffey in charge what does one expect!!😡
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jacquie phelps
2/4/2023 12:51:47 pm
I am disgusted with Natural England and the Government. It must seem pointless sometimes to fight against these establishments but thank you from the bottom of my heart that you do. One day God will have enough of their greedy selfish tyranny towards his beautiful creation. I just hope it will be soon and you see the fruits of your labour of love.
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Dorothy Norman
2/4/2023 12:53:22 pm
Please don't stop trying. We need people like you to persevere with this important issue.
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Keith bruce
2/4/2023 12:53:38 pm
hi Jason
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Angela Stine
2/4/2023 12:56:28 pm
I think this is utterly shameful and disgusting where the government as usual don’t want anything to do with stopping this immediately. I have never seen any of these birds and certainly won’t ever if this carries on.
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Tilly Veal
2/4/2023 04:04:10 pm
'Damn nuisance gulls'??? Are you for real? On a bird protection comments board? I'd really rather they culled utterly stupid people but hey ho...
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Mrs Squirrel Manning
3/4/2023 01:26:07 am
Yes, cull you for suggesting culling 'damn nuisance' birds. Have you even read Jason's comments about their eggs? Go away, we don't want your 'support.'
Jane Singleton
2/4/2023 01:07:50 pm
I am disgusted by the attitude of the government and Natural England.
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Laura Romney
2/4/2023 01:10:30 pm
Well done Jase - keep on challenging and exposing the hypocrisy of un-Natural England.
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Elizabeth Mitchell
2/4/2023 01:22:14 pm
I'm baffled as to the purpose of Natural England, a misnomer if ever there was one, surely? What are they meant to do, and in whose name? They seem to run counter to everything that implies conservation. Which minister is meant to have oversight of all this? And well done for exposing all this...
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Susan Dill
2/4/2023 01:30:39 pm
Despicable behaviour by this so-called government. Kep up the good work.
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Dan McCaughern
2/4/2023 01:42:22 pm
Bloody unbelievable! The fact that charities are putting on “elite” dinners and the fat privileged few dine on gulls eggs is bad enough, but the fact that skylarks, sparrows etc are still hunted LEGALLY is beyond comprehension. I don’t think a lot of people know about this horrific cruel practice.
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Mrs Squirrel Manning
3/4/2023 01:28:13 am
I don't contribute to any of the 'medical experiments of animals' 'charities' so the Parkinson's Society can bog off, bunch of toffs.
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kristin dina plowes
2/4/2023 01:42:25 pm
Why, why. Is it just thoughtlessness or pure greed. To paraphrase " but answer came there none - and this was scarcely odd, because
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Christopher Nash
2/4/2023 01:44:25 pm
Skylarks? Really! Can there be anything more cheering to the human soul than hearing the Skylark singing its wonderful song, over your head. The people who hunt all such beautiful and totally harmless creatures are inhumane and the agencies which condone this sort of activity have no excuse for permitting this to carry on. Perhaps, Jason, it's time to name and shame the people who work in these so-called "nature agencies". Make them take responsibility for their individual actions and justify these senseless culling and shooting activities to their neighbours, friends and anyone who knows them.
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Nan Owen
2/4/2023 01:46:26 pm
As someone else has commented, was does RSPB think of this? What about BTO and all the Wildlife Trusts? Surely there must be other organisations that find this appalling and surely there is something that can be done?
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Tim Lee
2/4/2023 02:10:32 pm
Interesting reaction re falconry. Perhaps
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Robert Johnson
2/4/2023 02:19:34 pm
It would appear that we are governed by morons on a mission to destroy the environment, killing off wildlife and spewing pollution into rivers and the sea. "Natural England" is just another bogus department. Unfortunately a change in government won't change things for the better. I have no faith in Coffey or Starmer who can't identify a woman less any other living creature under threat. What have we done to deserve these clots.
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Rosalind Beeton
2/4/2023 02:38:42 pm
I too am totally appalled by the hunting of these beautiful birds. We are told that skylarks are on the endangered list so why are people allowed to hunt them. I am a member of RSPB and I had no idea that people are allowed to hunt endangered birds in this country. No wonder there are fewer of these birds around because people are hunting them.
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Hilda Drury
2/4/2023 02:48:27 pm
leave ALL our wild animals ALONE....once gone...gone for ever...
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John Dyda
2/4/2023 03:43:05 pm
As a government body they are obviously bowing down to their wealthy masters. Absolute disgrace.
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Carole Waters
2/4/2023 04:40:37 pm
Natural England yet another useless government quango, how they can claim they protect our natural countryside is beyond a joke, as for the RSPB I have felt for several years they have lost their way hence why I cancelled my membership, these people are supposed to protect our wildlife, they are paid enough it's disgusting that they do nothing whatsoever to protect wildlife in fact they help in quickening their demise, just disgraceful!
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Simon George Spratt
2/4/2023 04:57:57 pm
Good afternoon Jason!! I would NEVER write sympathetically about Natural England!! They’re run by a bunch of Tory crooks and I have absolutely no time for such people!!
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Paul Lawrence
2/4/2023 07:41:09 pm
Looks like one rule for one and one rule for others, looking on there website . Keep up the fight to stop this.
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steve white
2/4/2023 08:00:34 pm
I will never understand how killing our wonderful bird life can be a sport? Humans are without doubt the worst species that inhabit this planet. Thankfully there are a few like Jason who can object to this behaviour.
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Sue O'Brien
3/4/2023 07:45:23 am
As a member of the RSPB I am horrified to hear that they do nothing to protect skylarks from being killed. I fail to understand why some people see this as 'sport'. I shall contact the RSPB and discontinue my membership if they are not willing to condemn such behaviour.
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Trevor David Clifton
3/4/2023 08:27:42 am
Killing for pleasure is immoral.
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Pamela Blackman
3/4/2023 11:06:06 am
I could not believe this, allowing song birds to be killed. So much of our beautiful nature is in decline, everything should be done to protect it, not hasten it's demise. Shame, shame, shame.
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Margaret Byrne
3/4/2023 04:48:19 pm
Skylarks? That is sport is it? Despicable.
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Helen Reah
3/4/2023 06:32:29 pm
Thank you for your persistence. I feel so angry that this organisation -Natural England - is making these decisions and yet is supposed to be encouraging conservation and advocating for our natural world. We only need to watch Wild Isles to hear the disgraceful and shocking statistics of our rapidly depleting flora and fauna. How can the powers-that-be stand by and allow this to keep happening? We should be ashamed, as a nation, that we are not doing everything we can to preserve our precious natural world, recognising its unique place on this planet.
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Doug Simpson
3/4/2023 09:25:45 pm
So where does this leave us when we're telling other countries how to manage their wildlife welfare issues?
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Marc Dorman
4/4/2023 10:09:36 am
Re falconry and the dreadful hunting of our songbirds. I wonder if the Government keeps this awful practice going for their wealthy Arab friends as the keeping of falcons is very important in the higher echelons of Arab society. Can't upset those that own a fair proportion of our racing, football and other interests and who no doubt also whack loads of money into Government coffers.
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