Hi folks,
Well there was something of a furore after my recent revelations that Natural England has been busy approving licences that permit the hunting of songbirds, including Skylark, in the name of sport. Details of these controversial falconry licences is being made public for the first time this year, all thanks to our campaign which pressured Natural England into making an annual declaration of the statistics. I can now report that the full licence data (including these notorious falconry licences) has now been published; Natural England has also issued a blog post attempting to clarify the thinking behind their contentious decision making. As you know, I'm opposed to the inclusion of any endangered species on the 'quarry' list and I think Natural England's response is lacklustre and disappointing. They said, "we understand concerns expressed about red list species being taken under these licences. Licences are only issued when there is deemed to be no effect on the conservation status of the birds involved." I don't accept this explanation at all. I have shared my thoughts with them directly and I'm calling on Natural England to remove all threatened species from the licences immediately. Many of you have expressed alarm over this matter, and I share your concerns. It is madness for the Government's nature watchdog to be sanctioning the hunting of these threatened species. So please take a look at the licence data, make up your own minds. The download link is HERE (large data file) The data summary page is HERE Their explanation is HERE Sincere thanks for your support over this, I've had so many messages and comments, every one of them is read and appreciated. The campaign continues. Best, Jase
30 Comments
Brenda Ghafoor
15/2/2023 05:56:07 pm
Are they stupid? Don't they realise that's exactly how we lose a species? Bit by bit and one by one, til there is an alarm about extinction in the future. Leave them alone, they do no harm . Perhaps take out one of them instead. The world would be a better place without idiots!
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Kevin
15/2/2023 07:08:35 pm
Well they lost nearly all there fish in the uk as the government are very lazy in watching our seas around the uk they dump all kinds of toxic waste into the sea it’s just a super drain to the elite,they let everyone in from far to over fish it,now it’s baron I’m a scuba diver,an 35 years ago there were plenty of scallops now they’ve all been taken not by means of sustainable fishing,I’m a keen fisherman that’s watched the cod stocks depleted to very few,they started on pollock now that is even scarce now,sorry it’s about the birds an so rightly so,they don’t care what happens in this country it’s full of corruption an greed an run by people who just don’t care,song birds are beautiful an brightening up there country with there fantastic songs an beautiful colours
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Jon knight
16/2/2023 09:56:08 am
As a commercial fisherman who started in the mid seventies, I could give you a far longer and more comprehensive list of the fish that have been depleted by the modern factory
Alan Ness
15/2/2023 11:26:53 pm
I was under the impression that Natural England was there to protect and support flaura and fauna, not not advocate destruction of all that rational people hold dear. This organisation needs to be shut down and the protection of nature placed in the hands of people who really care.
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Art D
16/2/2023 05:33:00 pm
Sane and sensible; 1000% Alan Ness. Have the falconry faction and whoever in the Civil Service supports them, ever walked in open unspoilt country, listening for the now less often heard skylark and other small birds that I remember in childhood were the constant music of the British Isles? How incomplete a human is it that does these things not realising what riches of nature they have helped / are helping to destroy? .Unless they awake and change, their worth on earth is negligible. As it is, there's not many who can say they benefit our good old planet, but these are destroyers of it,
Paul Soane
16/2/2023 02:23:19 pm
Are they stupid? That doesn’t even come close. And most definitely incompetent
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c mc crann
15/2/2023 06:01:47 pm
leave our wildlife alone.it's not a sport, it's a sick and cruel pastime.
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Howard Owen
15/2/2023 06:12:22 pm
How can anyone take seriously an organisation that sanctions the killing of endangered species. I bet if Help The Aged started culling the aged, the organisation would soon be investigated and closed down. (Btw not advocating culling the aged - getting close myself).
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Roberta King
15/2/2023 09:13:31 pm
Howard, the government has already been culling the aged, as to paraphrase the PM during the Covid outbreak it would affect those over 80 the most and they're old and would die soon anyway.
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Ronald Teague
15/2/2023 06:13:48 pm
What on earth are they playing at so do these lealize by saying it’s ok for some people to hunt these beautiful creatures other people will think it’s ok it’s just ridiculous somebody needs to be educated and reprimanded for making such a decision
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Pamela Waldron
15/2/2023 06:17:48 pm
I absolutely despair.On one hand we are trying hard to convince everyone to re-wild to help the wildlife. On the other you have a license group- Natural England culling all & sundry which is backed by the Government. Gives you so much faith...not.
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Tim Holter
15/2/2023 06:19:30 pm
I have not read all the downloads having become exasperated half way through the second.
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Mike Boulton
16/2/2023 10:32:08 am
Ah but these toffs are more important aren't they?
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David Thurlow
15/2/2023 06:20:01 pm
When I was young it was normal to hear skylarks when out in the countryside. Now it is normal NOT to hear them.
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Tim Burke
17/2/2023 12:02:29 pm
Let's get this straight. The decline in Skylarks is due to loss of habitat - habitat made unsuitable due to pesticides, herbicides and farming practices, or too much leisure activity, especially dog walking. I don't like falconry, but it isn't significant.
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Sandra Barry
15/2/2023 06:20:37 pm
This is sickening. Nature should be allowed to flourish without the interference of people who need to boost their self esteem in ways as pathetic as hunting defenceless wildlife.
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15/2/2023 06:22:38 pm
are there any conservatives on this panel that decides to hunt endangered birds,they are pro-hunting,there cannot be any other explanation as to why "natural england" would do this,does this apply to scotland and wales????
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Liz Spencer
15/2/2023 06:24:41 pm
This is absolutely appalling
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Colin Kirtland
15/2/2023 06:35:26 pm
If Natural England are truly the government's "nature watchdog" they are toothless and useless. It's time they were euthanised!,
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Simon George Spratt
15/2/2023 06:41:48 pm
It’s absolutely scandalous that the government have been so complacent about the culling of birds. It isn’t what I voted for, but there again, it’s the majority that counts!!
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Oonagh
15/2/2023 07:01:12 pm
Absolutely wicked. What harm do these beautiful little birds do to anything.before I lost my hearing I could see and hear the beautiful song of skylarks as the flew above the heath near my home. The human race is fast becoming in humane. As for Natural England they should be closed down.
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Noel Buckley
15/2/2023 07:02:09 pm
How can anyone even think like that , everything has been done to make things harder for them over the years hedges taken away wetlands drained extensive farming now they want to shoot them , the only positive thing is they were here before us , and they will be here when we will have destroyed ourselves.
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Melanie mackay
15/2/2023 07:08:47 pm
Unbelievable and so disappointed by this stupid decision, who can possibly think this is the way a so called civilised nation behave. Ashamed to be human sometimes,
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Michael Williams
15/2/2023 07:56:45 pm
I am all in favour of protecting our birds, but please explain to me just how you convince a hawk that it is not allowed to kill a particulae species of bird. It is doung what nature designed it for. Use some common sense, they are licensed to protect the falkoners, not to give them free range to hunt these birds.
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Mike Boulton
16/2/2023 10:37:25 am
There is a diference bwen a wild hawk doing what nature intended and a captive bird doing what the falconer directs
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Jeanette
15/2/2023 08:22:54 pm
You would be surprised at the actions of Natural England and the issue of licenses. Whilst building was being considered on a floodplain where it was occupied by slow worms grass snakes and lizards their suggestion was they should be relocated away from alongside the river where they lived to somewhere dry, there was a reason they lived next to the river. It never happened anyway but the building went ahead. The environment agency suggested removing minnows sticklebacks and other river life from a gentle flowing brook which was drying up to the river Loddon where they knew they would die in the fast flowing waters, predated as well. There is something more to these licenses, pleasing those who are in the House of Lords who pass these laws. See Lords personal financial interests 2023 published online. Then see the obvious mess. I live in the countryside, wounded wildlife some with ears or limbs shot off are common. It’s called sport. I call it murder. Shooting parties are common on estates round where I live, if they are not killing them with their 4x4s on the road then they are taking shotguns to everything that moves. They kill foxes then moan about rats. These are not human beings. Read C Rajagopalacharis’ book ‘rescue democracy from money power’. It says it all.
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Diana Morris
15/2/2023 08:58:19 pm
Nature England should be abolished. Absolutely appalled by their behaviour. It is our wildlife not just yours to shoot and eliminate at will.
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Margo
15/2/2023 10:02:13 pm
You're absolutely correct that it's madness for the NATURE WATCHDOG to be sanctioning the hunting of threatened species. Thank you so much for taking up the fight for these harmless, innocent birds.
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James Hobbs
16/2/2023 04:25:15 am
It is outrageous Natural England (a name it does not deserve) is approving licences to kill these birds, natural England needs reforming or closing down and replacing as soon as possible. The disgusting, rotten,vile cowards who shoot these beautiful birds should be incarcerated in a grim nasty prison for a very long time as punishment for there dirty crimes,its very depressing we have to share this planet with such rubbish,pointless humans who shoot animals for sport.
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