Hi folks,
A quick update for you, as the countdown to the festive season begins, just to let you know that 1) I'm still here, and 2) I am still working on the campaign! It's just been a little quiet of late, which is a good sign as there haven't been any major questions to ask the UK nature agencies since the last updates. Licences and more... However, shortly I will be ensuring that the 2023 wildlife licence data is being prepared by both Natural England and NatureScot, and pushing for publication dates for both data sets. Natural England normally release theirs as early as February (or as late as June!), while NatureScot have yet to confirm how often they will publish theirs going forward, after we successfully pushed them to release a full set of licence data last summer - which revealed some worrying statistics.... On this matter, in the past week or so I've been in touch again with NatureScot to ask for an update on the investigation promised by Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf into the shocking number of wildlife licences issued north of the border. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, my contact at NatureScot hasn't responded to my enquiry, which is frustrating - but I'm persistent as you know and I'll try again next week. While the cynic in me is not expecting there to be any major developments on the investigation, you just never know.... I have also asked them when they plan to publish the next set of licence data. I'll update everyone on this in due course. Black-headed gull eggs Meanwhile, back south of the border, in the new year I'll also seek to clarify with Natural England the situation regarding Black-headed gull eggs after all the anomalies of last year when some eggs still made it on to the open market despite Natural England withdrawing nearly all egg harvesting licences. Until every last licence is withdrawn, we can't know whether eggs are on sale legally or illegally. So that's a task for January. Secrecy over number of whale strandings On a side issue, some of you might know that I have been investigating the rapid increase in cetacean strandings around the UK coastline. Shockingly, there were more than 1000 whales, dolphins and porpoises washed up dead and dying in 2018, as outlined in the CSIP (Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme) annual report to Defra. Since then the figures have been hidden by both organisations and I wanted to know why. My hunch is that there might be a direct correlation between the rise in whale strandings and the proliferation of offshore wind farm developments; being able to see the figures might shed some light on to the reasons for the increasing mortality rates. But when I asked them in October, neither the CSIP nor Defra would let me see the data. And I wonder why.... Defra point-blank refused my freedom of information request, saying it wasn't in the public interest to share the data, and I've challenged their decision on that. Watch this space because I think there might be some interesting updates on this in due course. For those of you interested in my articles on this subject, most are on my separate Medium.com blog, (click: HERE.) And that's all for now I think. So - for those of you in the UK - I hope you're enjoying the crisp winter weather, and to everyone who follows me, wherever you are: all best wishes and sincere thanks, as always, for your continued support of our campaign! Best, Jase
8 Comments
Paget Aisling
1/12/2023 06:54:04 pm
Good evening Jason
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1/12/2023 07:20:04 pm
Here I am again and Uptight ! DEFRA ? Not in the Public Interest ? Are They Headed By an Idiot ? And Who is The Person Responsible For Them ? I Am Sick and tired of Not in the Public Interest . They ? Are Certainly not in the Public Interest Are They TRAITORS ? To the British People as The Wildlife in My Country Belongs to No One ! And the Sooner they Know That The Better .Jason Do's Such a Good Job and Should be Named For His stand for wildlife . Now For DEFRA I Leave Ny Usual Sign Off ! WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE A BULLFINCH ? My Favourite British Bird
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2/12/2023 12:43:51 am
I agree entirely Geoff and as Jase says 'What is the RSPB doing about all the bird cullings 'F' all with all their millions from the public 142m when I last looked in 2021, their protection is a joke, why don't they challenge Natural England and Defra? Goverment authorities care nothing for the environment and our wild life e.g all these new licences for oil drilling so destructive for our marine life. All they think about is helping business growth e.g.Liz Truss wanting to reduce tax on big business. Thank God for Jason and all his supporters in their fight for all this corruption.
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Raymond Waldie
2/12/2023 07:44:18 am
Just to add my good wishes and thanks to those other comments. I have never understood the slaughter of our wildlife. I hope you continue in your efforts for the fauna of our island.
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Gail Hopkins
3/12/2023 10:10:03 am
Thanks for continuing with this important work Jason. I have shared on FB again and hope that we get more signatures to the petition. But, more crucially, that organisations release the data to you as it clearly is in the public interest. I had some contact with NatureScot earlier this year and although they gave the information in the end, things moved slowly.
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Joanna Roseff
4/12/2023 10:07:23 am
I think it is sometimes connected with seismic blasting, when they survey the sea floor looking for somewhere to store nuclear waste. Only a madman would think about storing nuclear waste anywhere that water can get to it - that's our government ...
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Joanna Roseff
4/12/2023 10:20:13 am
I think NE's approach to issuing licences is something to do with McMorn v Natural England [2016] P.T.S.R. 750, which said:
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4/12/2023 01:51:56 pm
I wonder whether a number of FOI requests on the subject of the number cetacean deaths would help reinforce this issue as 'being in the public interest' anything Defra or NE can sweep under the carpet they will but I will and if along with a number of your followers all sending FOIs in jt would, collectively, show their claim to be mistaken. Perhaps an organisation like Seaworld receive such details as being an interested party and in line with their conservation/protection work?
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