Natural England approved the shooting of more than 400 Moorhens and the destruction of 4,225 Moorhen eggs under licences they issued between 2014 and 2019.
The figure is likely to be even higher as I have been careful to avoid duplicate licences, nest destruction and various other anomalies from the data they sent me. Threat to Public Health? Justification for killing the birds and destroying their eggs include (in Natural England's opinion) the threat they pose to public health and safety, falconry and aviculture, and to prevent serious damage to crops, vegetables or fruit...... These latest revelations are just more examples that I've pulled from Natural England's disturbing licensing statistics and follow the posts I've written about Herring Gulls, Coots and many many more species that have been targeted for destruction by the agency. Though Moorhens are not currently considered a vulnerable species, the bird faces a series of threats that include everything from over zealous hunting to the perils of pollution and environmental destruction. With Natural England adding to the pressure by issuing licences for the birds' destruction, it surely won't take long before we see the Moorhen joining the ever growing ranks of red and amber listed species of conservation concern. More accountability urgently needed.... As I have been saying since I started the campaign to overhaul and examine the agency, it is imperative that Natural England becomes accountable to the public. There needs to be much more transparency throughout the licensing system and a much greater public influence over licensing decisions. The feedback I receive from concerned members of the public shows overwhelmingly that they would not support culling of birds in public spaces such as parks, and would strongly oppose licences being granted should they be given the opportunity to object. Natural England promise to publish details of all licences issued - starting this year Natural England's Operations Director, James Diamond, has assured me that all licences issued in the previous year will be published openly for public scrutiny within the following twelve months, starting before the end of 2019, and then annually. However, I want to see much more transparency. While it's great that we will be able to examine all licences the agency has already issued (together with every detail associated with those licences), our goal is that the public must have more influence over the actual decision making, in particular with regard to those licence applications relating to bird control in public spaces. It should be our right to protect our birds from those who might not be acting in the best interest of our native wildlife. Petition at 351,000 Signatures - next goal half a million! The petition is at 351,000 signatures and we are now looking towards the next goal of half a million. Please keep sharing. And thank you for your support.
101 Comments
H atkin
6/9/2019 04:06:40 pm
I thought coots killed moorhens too. So they’re victimised
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Rupert King
6/9/2019 04:45:58 pm
Thank you Jason for exposing these ridiculous licences. I am astonished that 400 moorhens have been approved for culling. This is an innocuous little bird, far less common than the coot. The reasons given are pathetic and risible. NE must be brought to account.
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James Bunyan
6/9/2019 05:25:00 pm
I agree entirely with Rupert King.
Kevin Elliott
6/9/2019 06:15:27 pm
I fully support the exposure you are doing here Jason. It really is appalling.
Jon T
6/9/2019 07:39:39 pm
Thanks for raising the petition. I agree Natural England need to be open and transparent about what they do and on behalf of whom. (actually the name of this organisation appears to be contrary to what they are - certainly not natural)
Carole Sutton
6/9/2019 08:53:10 pm
I couldn't agree more.
JANE
6/9/2019 09:41:39 pm
Little moorhens ? A threat ? To what ?
Pamela Allen
7/9/2019 09:27:36 am
To Un-natural England Mr Diamond
Josephine Elisabeth Stuart
7/9/2019 01:14:22 pm
What use is Natural England. A unit supposed (we would have thought) to protect the Naturalness of our beautiful country, which slings permissions to destroy our wildlife about seemingly without care or thought. I AM ON THE BIRDS SIDE - INCLUDING SEAGULLS, who only do what they have to do to continue living. Unlike us who do wicked things to get more and more m
E. C. Williams
9/9/2019 10:47:24 am
As part of my Art practice I document what I find and experience in the countryside - including bad drivers and litter! 6/9/2019 04:51:56 pm
Who gave `Natural England' the power to issue these licences, and who `polices 'them in the long run.
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Paul Soane
6/9/2019 07:54:31 pm
Sadly Countryfile bias is all too clear to see towards pro hunting. I’ve boycotted this programme for a few months now.
Ellen P
7/9/2019 12:15:26 am
The BBC seems so biased towards its favourites (?money makers) and openly favours them on screen. Subjects it is less fond of (?maybe less or not money-makers for the Beeb) it disparages/dismisses. I resent paying BBC licence fee for this reason, and the fate of these poor moorhens enforces that opinion. Transparency needed now for NE, BBC and all other organisations supposedly representative of general well-being. Hopefully the killings will end by this means.
Keith Dancey
7/9/2019 09:09:47 pm
There is a great deal of misunderstanding / lack of knowledge being displayed by commentators here regarding the role of Natural England and bodies such as the RSPB.
Denise Booth
6/9/2019 08:30:19 pm
I despair.
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Eric Buckley
7/9/2019 01:42:50 pm
It's about time Natural England was abolished / culled before they have the opportunity to cause further destruction to OUR wildlife and environment.
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Grace madden
7/9/2019 07:07:08 pm
This is so Wrong.
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Eric Cuthbert
8/9/2019 08:19:30 am
There should be no killing of any kind, "live and let live", leave them in peace, stop the persecution of these innocent creatures. Eric Cuthbert from Dundalk, Ireland.
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J Edmonds
9/9/2019 08:50:58 am
I'm sick of these goons and their antics...unfit to be custodians of anything. Time that natural England had a root and branch clearout of idiots who rubber stamp stupidity like this and actually have the cheek to be paid for it. Utterly ashamed that they are in my country.
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Ann Beirne
6/9/2019 04:09:25 pm
Why are we sitting here allowing this to go on, we need to get out there rather than sitting around saying Oh how terrible!
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6/9/2019 05:43:55 pm
Anne, I think the same but what exactly can we do except continue to sign petitions?
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Terence Hounsom
6/9/2019 04:10:02 pm
Nothing natural about killing thousands of harmless birds
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John Woodland
6/9/2019 04:15:31 pm
Why do we have to persecute our wildlife? Surely natural selection will ensure that numbers are self-controlled. Yet again it seems that wildlife has to be culled for the sake of so called "sports" without due regard to our natural world.
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Rupert
7/9/2019 05:45:34 am
Natural selection did little to control our numbers.
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Steph
7/9/2019 09:19:29 am
Yet...
Pauline J Burnett-Dick
9/9/2019 02:08:23 pm
Precisely, it's human beings that need population control-we're ruining the planet for every other species. Unfortunately by the time we've finished ruining this planet for ourselves we will have ruined it for every other life-form! Human population control is the answer but no-one wants to tackle that one!!!! 7/9/2019 09:14:31 am
I find this post unbelievable. Im sure 'Natural England" is a gross misnomer. It should support our natural wildlife as the name suggests. In whose name are they actung. Certainly not mine.
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Carol Powney
6/9/2019 04:15:38 pm
If it were Natural England the birds and animals would be alive...these running this group of killer happy eejits should rename to Unnatural England.
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Marcia McGrail
6/9/2019 05:45:22 pm
Carol, couldn't agree with you more! Well said!!
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Patricia
7/9/2019 09:00:03 am
I couldn’t agree more it’s about time we started looking after all our wildlife
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ken bradshaw
6/9/2019 04:15:39 pm
what gives natural England the right to destroy birds and eggs on a whim. these birds are natural to the British isles
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Margaret Bell
6/9/2019 09:02:26 pm
Shows how 2 faced they are as we are the most murderous species this planet has produced!
Faye Pritchard
6/9/2019 04:15:54 pm
I cannot see anything 'natural 'in the actions of Natural England. It is indiscriminate slaughter on a mass scale.
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Jane F Tatam
6/9/2019 04:16:58 pm
Shouldn't it be renamed 'Unnatural England'?
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karen steele
6/9/2019 05:33:40 pm
Who are these people called Natural England.
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robert whybrow
7/9/2019 07:46:24 pm
you forgot to mention badgers which they are already killing 32000 larst year - licences issued by natural england
George Sampford
6/9/2019 04:17:19 pm
I'm suspicious that there's more to this than meets the eye, or common sense. Are the reasons given plausible, warranted, believable? Questions need to be asked, publicly, too.
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John Stephen
6/9/2019 04:18:01 pm
There is nothing good to say about Natural England, as destroying all this wildlife is totally unjustified.
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Norman Murray
12/5/2020 01:17:36 am
Can you prove that it is not required,why do think it is not required ?
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Marcia Owen
6/9/2019 04:18:10 pm
This recent revelation disturbs me intensively. I have over the last 5 years only just seen a rise in moorhens in the last year. I just cannot see the link to falconry for one thing or public health.
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nigel dewar gibb
6/9/2019 04:19:34 pm
Moorhens (Coots in Scotland).....the threat they pose to public health and safety, falconry and aviculture, and to prevent serious damage to crops, vegetables or fruit......
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Susan martin
6/9/2019 04:20:53 pm
Please ...not in my name
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Robin Lloyd
6/9/2019 04:22:32 pm
thank you for your observation & perseverance ; our wild birds in UK are the most wonderful heritage & must be protected at all costs .
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6/9/2019 08:25:04 pm
It's not considered illegal in Malta G.C., because the country has an 'opt-out' from the E.U. Birds Directive for the "spring shoot" of migrating birds. This has been a 'running sore' as far as British ornithologists are concerned for well over half a century, and the Maltese authorities are not prepared to do anything about it, probably because everyone is 'mates' of everyone else, including the up-holders of the law. The practice is also condemned by the International Union for Nature Conservation. Refer to Chris Packham's account of a documentary filming visit to Malta in 2017 for an idea of what may be encountered there.
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Tim Burke
10/9/2019 08:21:40 pm
I think the derogation only covers quail. Otherwise I agree. I will never visit Malta, and never have done, because of the extent of illegal hunting, such that species that should be common are virtually absent as breeding birds.
Andrew
6/9/2019 04:23:18 pm
Why dont we just let them kill all our wild life and be done with it. !!! Nothing more important than humans ehh. Very sad
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Gill Rogers
6/9/2019 04:24:43 pm
This is terrible and so wrong. Birds of prey are protected now and so should poor moorhens- well any bird should be protected. Shame on you Natural England- thank goodness l live in Wales
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6/9/2019 05:23:52 pm
Natural Resources Wales is the agency responsible for the administration of nature conservation in Wales. It took over the functions of the Countryside Council for Wales. It acts as the statutory adviser to the Welsh Government on the natural environment. It is also responsible for the designation of SSCIs and NNRs.
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Norman Murray
12/5/2020 01:22:27 am
They are protecting birds ,wildlife, Plants,crops ,etc, what makes you think they were not ?
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Janet Jackson
6/9/2019 04:25:29 pm
What exactly is Natural England's policy statement? If nature is pretty much left to get on with it, the natural balance is maintained. Gulls, left alone, will predate chicks of moorhens and coots. The culling of gulls throws nature out of balance and the interference must escalate to keep the balance.
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Angela Richardson
6/9/2019 04:27:53 pm
Who exactly ARE Natural England?They sound like a protecting organisation but they are a destroying one. Our wildlife laws should be criminalising this kind of behaviour. What right have they got to issue these licences and who gives them that right?
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6/9/2019 05:25:46 pm
Natural England is responsible for the administration of nature conservation in England. It also acts as the Government's advisor on the English natural environment. SNH is responsible for the administration of nature conservation in Scotland.
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6/9/2019 09:24:06 pm
This organization is in league with organisations which use the countryside as their recreation ground - hunting, shooting and fishing, besides golf and waterspouts. Natural environments are an inconvenience to such pursuits.
joe caffery
6/9/2019 04:29:24 pm
I agree with Ann Beirne; it would be useful to have someone savvy in the legal sense to find a way of stopping Natural England. Obviously, politically they are unlikely to be brought to book with the political lobby system of vested interests, so any action to stop them is only likely to succeed if it not influenced by politics or involves politicians .
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ROSEMARY BURKHILL
6/9/2019 04:31:25 pm
What threat to health and safety, threat to crops, other birds etc, they are water birds for goodness sake!!!!!
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Norman Murray
12/5/2020 01:38:34 am
I take it you know very little of moorhens and coots.
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Pat James
6/9/2019 04:33:58 pm
Why do they always excuse this persecution by using health and safety and prioritising humans. We need to learn to live alongside nature. Similar attitudes to the culling of badgers which is only supported by cruel farmers.
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Fiona
6/9/2019 04:36:28 pm
It's the same in Wales with so called "Natural Resources Wales" approving licences to kill birds including some on the rspb red and amber lists
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Norman Garrioch Murray
12/5/2020 01:41:13 am
Your pretty ignorant whan it comes to birds and wildlife.
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Yvonne
6/9/2019 04:42:34 pm
WHY do the powers that be feel they need to wipeout our wildlife? These animals and birds have inhabited the planet for millions of years in one form or other and WE the human race are so infatuated with killing and destroying things just because someone some where doesn't like it or approve of its existance. How dare they call themseles the superior race when all they do is get rid of things that have a right to be here, they should build a rocket take off into space so the planet can recuperate.
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Kathleen McDermott
6/9/2019 04:43:17 pm
Natural England? Not fit for the purpose. They protect developers etc as opposed to wild flora and fauna
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Patricia Mills
6/9/2019 04:45:57 pm
What a horrrible thing to do, these ' officals ' in this department ought to be out of a job, and ' who' exactly are they protecting, certainly not me, nor in my name either, we need the proper government Minister who is in charge of this lot, named Natural England !! to give us all an explanation for this destructive behaviour, there MUST be room for our wonderful wild life in our beautiful UK. No amount of publishing will condone this killing.
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Sarah Heaton
6/9/2019 04:50:43 pm
Natural England are doing nothing to protect the creatures and plants that make up natural England. Who are these people? What are their qualifications to do this job?
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John Dyda
6/9/2019 04:51:19 pm
I still haven't heard any comments from the RSPB about this. Surely they know about it? Or are they in cohoots with Unnatural England and NRW Wales?
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Carol Goulding
6/9/2019 04:54:56 pm
Are the RSPB not involved with trying to stop this dreadful business? As a member I would hope they are!
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Janet
6/9/2019 09:51:07 pm
Please all RSPB members question why no action on this.
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NIGEL GRAY
7/9/2019 11:40:45 am
I have taken Wikipedia's entry for the RSPB given below.
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robert whybrow
7/9/2019 08:13:46 pm
they do not do to good a job of protecting birds of prey along with the law, from game keepers and large land owners
Alison Sowerby
6/9/2019 04:55:58 pm
Natural England need culling. Perhaps they can explain what exactly the "threat" to public health and safety is.
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Janet
6/9/2019 09:53:53 pm
As a retired public health physician, I cannot think of any reason at all. I was responsible for all infectious and environmental hazards in my patch.
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Ivor Hil
6/9/2019 05:01:38 pm
Unnatural England as those who have been fighting them for years call them are controlled by DEFRA and their lead is picked by DEFRA so they know they will do as they are told. NE are also responsible for issuing licencing for the Badger cull's against the advice from there own scientific adviser and the advice of the vast majority of scientist in the country. The reason for this is that DEFRA wanted it because they were under pressure from the farmers union. They needed a scapegoat to blame for the problems of Bovine TB. NE should be independent and not controlled by the government. Defra also approved the use of traps to kill so called vermin that were designed to kill hedgehogs in New Zealand They are killing hedgehogs and squirrels including red squirrels.
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Vanessa Lyon
6/9/2019 05:14:52 pm
I am shocked to hear that moorhens are going to be "legally" killed. This is further wanton destruction of our wildlife. I am going to write to my M.P about this , to seek clarification and ask if anything can be done to police Natural England and their activities.
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Harry Blair
6/9/2019 05:19:35 pm
Natural England? That's a laugh!.They seem more like Un-Natural England. They seem to be enemies of nature. They are a disgrace.
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Alan Hampson
6/9/2019 05:32:15 pm
Help! Won't someone save us from these monstrous moorhens, marching across crop fields, smashing down walls, attacking dogs and eating badgers? Come on, Natural England, which planet are you on...
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trev
6/9/2019 06:03:51 pm
A terrible state of affairs. I think it's quite sinister, am wondering what the real motive is, what's the hidden agenda?
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Ivor Hill
6/9/2019 07:01:01 pm
Hidden agenda. The simple answer money. They allow farmers, land owners. land developers, grouse shooting estates etc etc to kill whatever they see is a worthless animal that is in their way.
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Ray Allott
6/9/2019 06:04:50 pm
Who in heavens name is Natural England, some lunatic organisation bent on training future psychopaths.
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ms pullinger
6/9/2019 06:08:55 pm
one question - WHY BIRDS, what about starting with the rats that are over-running our towns etc
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Christopher Piesse
6/9/2019 06:20:48 pm
I've often wondered about that!
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John Graham
6/9/2019 06:27:14 pm
Considering moorhens are down in numbers in many areas , why not catch and release them in these areas rather than killing them.
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Sue Taylor
6/9/2019 06:30:53 pm
Can't understand any of the rationale for killing moorhens. Had no idea this was happening and sure most other people haven't either. Absolutely appalling
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Judy Wallace
6/9/2019 06:50:54 pm
If this were human beings it would be called genocide and people would be dragging the offenders to trial and imprisonment.
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William Shepherd
6/9/2019 07:02:42 pm
How can they call themselves Natural England when they are issuing licenses to destroy the very thing that is important. Surely the clue is in the title, "Natural England" not murder incorporated. Stop issuing killer licenses.
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Clive Amos
6/9/2019 07:14:54 pm
Who are these people running so-called natural England. I see a few Moorhens on the pond in our village and it never occurred to me that anyone would want to destroy them, let alone an official body.
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Jeffrey Ledger
6/9/2019 07:17:46 pm
I absolutely share the concern about destroying wildlife on an industrial scale, to bring this appalling situation into the public domain and to bring this organisation under public scrutiny but am equally concerned that this happens sooner rather than later! Petitions are fine but strategy wise would it not be better to start approaching say Prince Charles etc to recruit a champion who would really bring this destruction into the public eye.His links with the undesirable side of land ownership would be greatly challenged but how could he refuse without blotting his persona!
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robert whybrow
7/9/2019 08:25:17 pm
I think you will find prince charles like killing most things , fox hunting, he wrote to tony blair about culling badgers and he loves shooting - prince charles is great if you want him to tell other people what they should not do - Ithink he would side with the landowners
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Alan D Edwards
6/9/2019 08:57:35 pm
What is wrong with these people,the Moorhen is a lovely little bird and already missing from areas where they were common,to kill them and break their eggs is disgusting,perhaps the powers to be want a sterile plant because the way things are going that is what it will become.
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Christine Burden
6/9/2019 08:57:57 pm
Where are the RSPB when you need them?
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Marcia Cox
6/9/2019 09:46:03 pm
There are birds and 'BIRDS'. Birds are harmless and must be left alone. Herring gulls no longer have a fishing fleet to top up their feed so have become violent pests. My husband had his head slashed badly by a gull while walking home from Folkestone Station in Kent. We now live in the North. Raptors were introduced to a Minster tower to kill the pigeons. Of course they went for the easy prey and wiped out the song birds in one fell swoop. We had several song birds on the endangered list an lost the dawn chorus which is now wood pidgeons only except when blackbirds visit.
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Sue Murfin
6/9/2019 11:52:42 pm
Unbelievable - this took my breath away. Is there no respect for any creature byut humans? And not all that much for them sometimes either. I could weep.
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Pwll
7/9/2019 12:02:22 am
WHAT??? Are they just pulling species names out of a hat now? Moorhens and coots are entirely harmless! I've just spent the summer following both species around with a camera (and suffering no ill effects), and they are the most enchanting birds I've ever studied. In particular I've been following an extraordinarily devoted pair of moorhens and their single (now almost grown) chick, and have seen some wonderful behaviour (such as whenever they've just had an argument with a coot, both moorhens will spend several minutes mutual-preening as if they need to calm each other's nerves. The chick used to get a lot of grooming too, and I've even seen it preening one of its parents). They are a wonderfully intelligent species too; I've read reports of an incubating bird using a piece of polythene to cover itself during heavy rain, and a pair that nested, unusually, high in a tree carrying the newly hatched young down to the waterside in their beaks. There is no possible justification for culling this species. None whatsoever.
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Barrie Sharrock
7/9/2019 01:19:15 am
Cull all Quangos! They are led by political embarrassments who are shoved out to grass , with a grossly exaggerated salary, where they will not cause the politicians any problems. It is the most outrageous system.
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Paul Fletcher
7/9/2019 09:32:33 am
What next are you going to find that has a LICENCE TO BE KILLED put on it Jason. I cannot believe what has been going on in the countryside behind our backs for so long. Thank you for all you are doing and bringing this to our attention. The biggest threat to nature and the countryside is humans with a licence to kill and the people who issue these licences not all these birds that are being indiscriminately killed off.
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Trish
7/9/2019 10:33:42 am
It's all very well for Mr Diamond to 'reassure' us that the licences and information pertaining to them will now be published at the END of each year which enables public scrutiny but it's a bit useless then isn't it!! By that time the birds involved in the licenses granted will be dead and gone so how does that influence the number and form of licenses NE are granting. They certainly have little respect for our wild birdlife and I don't see that by publishing after the event will bring about the change we all cry out for. It won't provide the accountability we seek or the policy changes we seek to demand. In my view Mr Diamond is playing with us all and demonstrates an arrogance of perceived untouchability.
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Michael Voice
7/9/2019 03:29:22 pm
The term "Natural" in Natural England would seem to be a misnomer or even an anathema meaning in this case abhorrent to God.
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Lindsay Viljoen
8/9/2019 09:15:44 am
This reads like a culling organisation not a protection organisation. If a third world country were to use such practices they would be condemned by this country.
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Simon Beadle
8/9/2019 03:32:13 pm
Sickening these reports on the killing of harnless birds and the destruction of their eggs and nests. Moorhens are shy birds and couldn't harm humans in any way.
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Pwll
9/9/2019 03:58:07 pm
I wrote to Natural England about this. Didn't get the courtesy of a personal reply, of course. They just sent a link to this statement, with which, Jason, you're probably familiar already. It had never occurred to me that licences would be issued against such species as robins, skylarks, great tits and ringed plovers! http://jasonendfield.weebly.com/home/natural-england-approved-the-destruction-of-400-moorhens-and-4000-of-their-eggs?fbclid=IwAR2kMrDxJMVKCRYtR8R7RsCI4AJ6cH2RIltQN3eT7iHOeM_XtHx28ksiO2Y
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Tim Burke
10/9/2019 08:39:56 pm
I am finding it hard to imagine a bird less likely to come into conflict with human interests. What exactly are these moorhens accused of doing, and how, and to whom or what? Then we can move on to why the Natural England branch of DEFRA agrees that a cull is necessary, and if it is as nonsensical as we all suspect we can act with the full weight of the facts behind us.
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Julie Carpenter
15/9/2019 07:42:10 pm
How do so called "natural England" make their decision as to which poor benighted little bird to pick on next. I mean for Gods sake, Moorhens. They lose loads of their babies every year because they make their nests in such dodgy places. I am seriously concerned about this, are we supposed to live in place with no birds, by the time natural england have finished, and no trees by the time British Rail have finished. I don't think I like this country anymore.
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