*Up to 10% of the entire UK breeding population of Egyptian Geese killed in a month, with more to follow
*Licence to kill 25 baby Great Tits *Licence to shoot Red Kites in ongoing battle between human activity and wildlife Just to keep you all in the loop regarding my latest Freedom Of Information requests from Natural England. I have now had a response to my first round of questions. Rest assured these were just the initial enquiries, there are many more licences which I will be asking them about in due course. So, last month I asked Natural England about three sample licences that they issued in 2019. One was to 'capture' or 'possess' Marsh Tits (together with Blue Tits and Great Tits), another was to exterminate Egyptian Geese, and the third was issued to shoot Red Kites. There were no real surprises in the information I received, although I do have several concerns which I'll outline below. I'd appreciate readers' views on these licences. Some of you may think they are justified, others may balk at the idea of killing any birds for 'scientific research' or even 'air safety', though they are of course contentious issues which give rise to strong opinions.. To summarise the three example licences then.... 'Invasive Species' : Up to 10% of the total UK breeding population exterminated in a month. The Egyptian Goose (actually a relation of the Shelduck), is a non-native species, introduced to the UK in the 17th century. Though never particularly successful at breeding here due in part to our cooler climate, they have nevertheless managed to survive in relatively modest numbers, mostly in Norfolk. The Egyptian Goose has never been a common sight in the UK. While populations in the UK are believed to be increasing, the IUCN red list suggests that, internationally, numbers of Egyptian Geese are decreasing and notes that "The species is persecuted by shooting and poisoning in parts of its range". Every reason to conserve - and celebrate - our naturalised colonies then you might think? But no, an EU directive in 2014 slapped an 'invasive alien species of union concern' label on these most attractive and intelligent birds. This regulation obliged EU member states to "take action to prevent introductions of the species and to manage existing populations" so, dutifully following orders, Natural England have been busy issuing licences to shoot Egyptian Geese, even though the modest UK populations have been quietly co-existing with other species here for three hundred years. Natural England's decision has led to the equivalent of 10% of the total UK breeding population of Egyptian Geese being exterminated in a little over a month last year, with the licence renewed to kill 200 more birds in 2020. Adult birds shot and goslings 'humanely despatched' The latest return figures for this individual licence suggest that 196 of the Geese were killed between February and March last year, adults being shot and goslings being 'humanely despatched' by the hunting party. Just to re-iterate, this is the equivalent of 10% of the total UK breeding population - exterminated in a little over a month. The figures were provided by the licence holders themselves, though as we know Natural England often relies on the 'good practice' of those carrying out the killing to report the final figures accurately. So who really knows how many birds have been killed.... As already mentioned, Natural England has renewed the licence meaning that hundreds more geese will be shot and 'humanely despatched' again this year. The licence holder also planned to employ the use of cruel Larsen traps as part of this year's cull. From treasured ornamental birds to persecuted aliens.....and hunters' prey It won't perhaps be long before those in power see their plan through to fruition and the species is eradicated from this country forever. Some invasive species clearly pose a risk to our native species and the environment (think Japanese Knotweed perhaps); this in my opinion, is not the case with the Egyptian Goose however. This seems to be an excuse for hunters to hunt. Licence to capture or possess 6,900 Marsh Tits, Blue Tits and Great Tits.... This licence was issued in the name of 'scientific research'. An applicant in Cambridgeshire was granted a licence to capture up to 1,500 red-listed Marsh Tits, 2,700 Blue Tits and 2,700 Great Tits using mist nets and funnel traps and to keep them temporarily contained until they produced faeces. This ongoing action is part of a 3 year research project. The aim of the project is two fold, according to Natural England's technical assessment, the motive being to "understand [the] link between microbiome and behaviour and any causal link, with a wider perspective relating to the use of antibiotics and prebiotics increasing in farmed landscape which birds have access to." This may be a valuable piece of scientific research, I'll leave that opinion to those more knowledgeable than myself. But there are still ethical questions here, and the inclusion of a red-listed species, however useful to science the findings may be, makes me uncomfortable. Concerns over repeated capture of birds While most of the birds would be released as soon as they had produced faeces, it is acknowledged that they would be recaptured regularly during the course of the experiment. And although most of the adult birds used in the research would only be held for a short period of time, one wonders what stress they must suffer, especially when they have been trapped again and again. This is something that worried Natural England too. I've seen an email trail in which they expressed their concerns over the repeated capture of the same birds over a period of time. Presumably these concerns were ultimately allayed as they approved the licence. Approval to take 25 baby birds from nests at 10 days old Natural England agreed that the same licence holder could remove 25 Great Tit fledglings from the wild at the age of 10 to 13 days and keep them in captivity for study. The licence holder told Natural England that: "At the end of the experiment, great tits will either be released if deemed safe to do so, or euthanised as a humane end point, in accordance with Home Office Licencing." This part of the application led to Natural England issuing a kill licence for 25 of the baby birds. Approval to 'capture' or 'possess' 6,900 wild birds And look again at the permitted numbers of birds covered by this licence, potentially 6,900 birds. Even accounting for re-capture of the same birds, it's a huge number. It's a factor that arises with so many of Natural England's licences. While responsible licence holders may well be in the majority, there will always be those less principled who will take advantage of the huge numbers of birds associated with the licences they have been given. This is particularly problematic with those licences issued to shoot large numbers of gulls for example, where we have seen in the past some evidence that the licence holders don't even seem to know the difference between species.... Approval to shoot Red Kites And that brings me to the third licence, issued for the shooting of Red Kites. Once faced with national extinction, the reintroduction of the Red Kite has been a rare conservation success story - but now we find it targeted again as it comes into conflict with human activity. History repeating? Natural England approved the shooting ('to aid scaring') of eight Red Kites, this year, under a licence that appears to have been active, in one form or another, since 2013. The killing of the birds is being carried out at an undisclosed airfield owned by the MOD, where the Red Kites pose a risk to aircraft using the runways. The 'problem' of local residents feeding the Kites has been cited as one of the reasons why the birds thrive in this 1000 acre environment. The Natural England member of staff who carried out a site visit noted that (quote) "I would estimate that the total number of kites seen on the day on and around the base easily exceeded 200 kites" which begs the obvious question, how killing eight of the birds will have any significant effect in reducing the threat to aircraft. Natural England's representative explained this decision: "Bird strikes have stayed at 1-3 per year for the last few years but the number of near misses involving fixed wing aircraft, both taking off and landing, is increasing year on year mirroring the increasing population of red kites." Clearly the problem of too many Red Kites at an airfield is not one that will go away. It seems that we can save a species from the brink of extinction, pat ourselves on the back for our noble conservation success - and then proceed to persecute it all over again if it happens to be in the wrong location. Interestingly, this same licence holder was apparently advised by a representative of Natural England to apply for the Red Kite licence because there had already been a 'separate issue with Curlews' at the same location. So, the first round of enquiries hasn't thrown up anything surprising, this kind of thing is what we have come to expect from England's nature watchdog. But it's further confirmation that conservation in the UK needs a radical re-think. Natural England are not always on the side of wildlife in this country. The badger cull alone is proof of this. And Natural England's authority over the licensing system still requires close monitoring if they are to continue in that role. Will Natural England be remembered for dubious conservation and poor decisions? Personally I think that Natural England's approach to wildlife control will ultimately come to be seen as an example of slapdash conservation and poor decision making. Even in rare situations where lethal control of wildlife might be deemed 'essential', my heart sinks at the thought of someone sitting at a desk, behind the closed doors of a government agency, ticking boxes (literally) and condemning hundreds or thousands of wild birds to death, sometimes simply for being an inconvenience to human activity. Some time ago, when I pressed them on the matter, Natural England told me that, of the thousands of applications they receive each year, only 10 to 20% are refused. That needs to change. Refusal of wildlife control licences should be the rule, rather than the exception. In this day and age we really should be doing everything we can to preserve wildlife - but persecution in one form or another continues unabated, and is often perpetrated by governments and organisations with vested interests in promoting extermination above conservation.
94 Comments
25/5/2020 07:10:39 pm
I think the taking of tit chicks is completely deplorable.
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Jeremy Harding
25/5/2020 07:47:20 pm
As a lifelong naturalist and retired Organic farmer I feel that there is too much assumption on the part of Natural England to side with those who have (often fairly dubious reasons to 'kill' animals) rather than starting from the position of all wildlife is precious and we need very good and sustainable reasons to kill any at all.
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Mary
25/5/2020 08:36:47 pm
Natheal England should be called Wildlufe Assassins
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Chris Sellars
25/5/2020 09:41:56 pm
I have to agree. Culling seems to show a complete lack of imagination. There are always better ways to solve problems than leaping to the default human position of kill everything. I would also agree that licences should be almost impossible to get and that people should have to jump through hoops to prove that killing and trapping is the only way to resolve the problem after every other idea has been tried and has been proven to fail.
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Richard webb
25/5/2020 09:57:35 pm
I Think killing and or trapping of any wildlife is appalling we will probably find that they will use the recent pandemic as an excuse for killing more species I wonder how many licenses are given to people who have loads of money &to whom some of this is legalised sport
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John Woore
26/5/2020 05:20:23 am
I think that Natural England have the wrong methods and priorities. Broadly I agree with you.
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26/5/2020 09:24:23 am
This seems to be an effect of not enough behavioural options being considered. The easiest action being extermination but not the best. Karen Pryor, a dolphin trainer wrote a seminal book available as pdf online called ‘ Dont shoot the dog’ where she presents 8 methods to situation solutions, 4 positive 4 negative, suggesting we have more choice than habit would have us believe. Perhaps looking at the issues differently before issuing licence to kill would be beneficial. Limited thinking is common especially with box tickets, can we promote system change that recognises and matches conservation need? Culls are so 19C
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Frank Baxter
26/5/2020 09:33:14 am
Is it any surprise the Red kites are doing so well? Their numbers are being supported by local residents feeding them!
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Vicky Hargreaves
2/6/2020 02:38:23 pm
Lets face it, in a few more years when the iconic sea-eagle has grown in population from those re-wilded on the Isle of Wight, there will be applications to cull them too!
Mike Orman
5/6/2020 11:52:07 am
I agree. The Red Kites are being killed to avoid deadly air crashes which could kill both a plane's crew and those who might find a downed plane crashing into their roof.
Charles David Foulstone
26/5/2020 05:29:24 pm
Re the trapping of Great Tits: What bothers me even more than the trapping is the reason. Why, if we are officially supposed to be reducing the use of chemicals & anti-biotics in agriculture, do we need to be testing birds to monitor the effect of INCREASED dosage. Either this reason is bogus or the Government spokesmen dealing with agricultural policy are damned liars.
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Gill Seymour
26/5/2020 05:36:28 pm
I first saw red kites in February this year and found them lovely, graceful birds. I can't believe that anyone would want to kill them, especially as they have only just started breeding in this country again.
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Gwen Copplestone
26/5/2020 07:24:18 pm
There are so many valid points in all of the responses from everyone. On reading the latest update, my first one was: Who are Natural England? Is this a government body? Who funds them? They don't sound very natural or nature-orientated to me. We need to leave nature in peace. Agreed, stop feeding the kites to encourage them to leave the area of the airfield. Very worrying: taking in baby tits to investigate the effects of chemicals on wildlife. Congratulations to Jason for making such tremendous efforts to find out what they are doing. The question is: what can we, ordinary citizens, do?
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27/5/2020 08:40:28 pm
Firstly, congratulations and thanks to Jason Enderby for his valuable work in pursuing a FOI investigation in the public interest to bring Natural England's licensing remit into public focus. Most British citizens funding government departments and NGOs through personal taxation would be horrified to learn that, far from being a champion and protector of natural species, Natural England has become a protocol gateway whereby hunters, animal scientists and those troubled by the inconvenience of wildlife or researching its usefulness to industry can obtain official permission from this quasi-protector to persecute, maim or kill even protected species, engage legally in ecocide and animal experimentation for reasons which do not need to be disclosed. Our ecolaws are being diluted in the interests of profit. The question is whether the British people should continue to fund Natural England if it is not only unaccountable but also unfit for purpose. How might this particular criterion be decided? By observing the rationale by which Natural England was established. If it was established to allow corporations or other legal persons to facilitate their operations, by the foregoing and other evidence, then it is fit. If it was established to protect natural species and their habitat, then by the foregoing and other evidence, it is not fit. This should give rise to a parliamentary review of the ongoing existence of Natural England as a funded arm of the State .
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J A A Michell
4/7/2020 12:17:11 pm
I absolutely agree that non lethal methods must be used as a matter of course, trapping and removing birds to a more suitable location, it is food that will make them stay and nesting areas, crazy to keep kililng until there will be none left
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Sheila Sharpe
25/5/2020 07:10:42 pm
I strongly believe that all trapping should be stopped. I have seen at first hand, when a child, the resulting pain and destruction that traps cause. I do not believe it necessary to shoot living creatures either. Man must learn to live responsibly alongside other species. In order for this to happen, children must be educated, which includes not feeding wild creatures, and so maybe creating explosions in their population(s) and the need to come closer to humans to seek food and shelter.
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Rod Hancox
25/5/2020 07:11:51 pm
Everything Jason says here makes sense - in contrast to most of these Natural England proposals. To seek to kill eight out of 200 kites (!!??) because they are interfering with aircraft flights just doesn't make sense. Cut the number of f***ing flights, not the number of kites. It's the aircraft causing the pollution, not these beautiful birds. Despair or what!
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Paul Atkinson
26/5/2020 10:06:58 am
I agree that killing 8 kites is a waste of effort in an attempt to reduce air strikes. If the airfield concerned did a proper job of bird scaring the risk would be very small. Civil airfields in this country know how to do it and are very successful at it, and no birds are killed on the process. The MOD should learn from any major airfield operator how it is done and stop wasting our taxes on projects like this.
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Janet Allison
26/5/2020 06:19:14 pm
Totally agree. Bird scaring works. And airfields are expert at it. 25/5/2020 07:15:30 pm
Why is it that the human race seems determined to eradicate all life on earth. We do not deserve to exist as a species. I can only hope that this new virus will teach the idiots out there a lesson to treat the world around them with respect. Although I have my doubts. For Christs sake stop killing things just because they do not fit in with your environment.
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I totally agree with all the above commments. This pandemic has ..or should.. teach us we are but humble human beings. We should value our wildlife, how dare pen pushers decide what should live or die. Nature is key, we should respect it and learn its lessons. We do not have the ultimate right to dictate ...nature does that...hence these last few months giving nature a breathing space.
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Stephen Hooper
25/5/2020 07:17:46 pm
I totally agree, if this pandemic and the climate crisis has taught us anything it should be that we have to stop putting economics before everything else. We need a sea change in attitude, we've plundered and pillaged nature for our own selfish needs and it's taken us to the brink of disaster. If we do screw up this beautiful world of ours up it will be through a combination of greed, stupidity and complacency. What a sad epitaph for the human race.
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Marcia Owen
25/5/2020 07:21:12 pm
I am appalled at this and most especially the Red Kites as we have only recently been celebrating the presence of them in Wellingborough! I lived in Bucks before and they were commonplace but I still revelled in watching them. There is absolutely no justification for all this killing whatever they are. Nature will eventually balance itself without humans getting involved and thinking they can balance it themselves in their own skewed way.
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Lionel Whyton
25/5/2020 10:32:48 pm
Red kites are such wonderful, graceful birds. There is absolutely no reason to kill or harm them in any way. Shooting pigeons is fine by me. There are too many of them, especially in towns. They make a mess everywhere and the public are misguided enough to feed them.
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R Cassels
25/5/2020 07:24:03 pm
It seems to me that someone sitting at a desk finds it much easier to simply approve requests rather than risk having an argument with the applicant.
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Pat Edwards
25/5/2020 07:27:06 pm
I think it is high time they were renamed Unnatural England! To trap any birds is absolutely disgusting and the one think the RSPB have been arguing for years with the many foreign countries that do it to sell the birds In markets. To keep repeating it year on year shows they are not learning anything from the supposed testing they are doing. To kill any birds whether Tits, Red Kites or Egyptian Geese is abhorrent and unforgivable.
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25/5/2020 07:29:03 pm
Again I Find That Those Making The Decisions are Not At all Into the Conservation Field . And Your Findings Prove That The Sooner We Get Out Of Europe The Better as They Shout About Conservation But Do The Opposite . Like Our Fishing we Need To Get Back To Governing and Conserving On Our Own . I Remember When The Maltese Shot At Anything Or Everything as Sport Are We To get Back To Those Dark Days , Well Done Jason I Read With Interest and If I Upset Someone Because Of My Love For Wildlife TOUGH !
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Charles David Foulstone
26/5/2020 06:05:36 pm
Don't use Natural England's bird destruction policies as a hook to hang your anti-EU beliefs on. The majority of EU countries have conservation policies far better than ours, probably one of the reasons we're so keen to leave.
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Carol Dibbens
25/5/2020 07:30:24 pm
I am appalled that with all wildlife disappearing in UK and abroad that they are killing any of it Time humans started to look after this planet and all life on it
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Paul W Hamel
25/5/2020 07:33:42 pm
Another 'agency' that needs abolishing. There are a number of quangos or 'agencies' that are a byword for sloth, arrogance and pointlessness.
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Les Trembath
25/5/2020 07:35:33 pm
There is always a hidden agenda behind everything.
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M Booker
25/5/2020 07:36:41 pm
The best way to study wild life is in the wild.
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John Chester
26/5/2020 10:45:16 am
Why not focus on culling Canada geese, a real nuisance of an alien species which needs to be culled in large numbers throughout England, rather than the much scarcer, quite elusive, Egyptian goose, which enhances our native fauna. Natural England's explanations are an insult to the public's intelligence.
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Stuart Davies
25/5/2020 07:49:57 pm
This again smacks of the self-indulgent belief' propagated by religions, that the human species is the most important on the planet; That WE have the innate right to use, abuse, torture and eliminate our fellow creatures and the environment as we see fit - when in fact WE are by far, the most dangerous, destructive, greedy, cruel, barbaric specimens that have EVER inhabited this one and only celestial wonder.
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Christopher Lee
25/5/2020 07:50:14 pm
I do not agree with any of these licences. With regards Egyptian geese we will be seeing changing species in this country due to global warming so we are likely to see an increase in ‘invasive’ species. Does this mean we kill all of these new species, surely we have to accept the changing diversity of species.
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Nina Clark
25/5/2020 07:52:37 pm
I agree with everything you say. Kill licenses are handed out too easily. And there must be a better way of carrying out this scientific research than imposing such stress on the bird population, and certainly shouldn't include a red listed species. I don't believe enough effort goes into considering all options.
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25/5/2020 07:56:29 pm
I am appalled at licences being granted for the shooting of red kites, so recently restored, and others for the capture and killing of great tits, who are scarce enough in any case, and of blue tits, whom people seek to attract to garden feeders. As for air safety, a flight that my wife and I were due to take to London from Zurich last year was aborted when a 'bird of prey' got into the engine. Bit this experience does not deflect me from opposing the granting of licences to kill numbers of birds near airfields, including the unfortunate Egyptian geese.
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Ian Gemmell
25/5/2020 08:03:39 pm
I am sure the reasons for licences are many and varied which makes it complex. It would be interesting to know why the licence applicant wants to shoot the Egyptian Geese but maybe English Nature are forced because of the EU Directive to issue the licence. I am relieved the licence to kill the Red Kites is not to do with predation of pheasant chicks because that would have major implications. As for the research application it reminds me of Richard Lack in his book the Life of the Robin where he describes using a trap to catch robins and he said the same bird was appearing in a trap everyday making him think that the bird was addicted to be trapped and not stressed by it.
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Barry Bannister
25/5/2020 08:08:01 pm
I think that the interference with any species of bird is deplorable Full Stop. Marsh, blue, great, coal, willow and long tailed tit have more right to be here than we do actually. They don't pollute, destroy, or take away the land for ANY reason. I won't include the Bearded tit as too rare for the Government to bother about.... Red kites? We spent ages reintroducing them and now we feel that we need to get rid (Again). Egyptian geese? If we brought them here then they should stay here as long as they do not cause any biological changes to the native species (Which I cannot see them doing) The British Government again riding rough shod over anything that they want to. I feel sorry for any bird sucked into a jet engine actually, I don't think it was flying along thinking '' Hello I think I'll fly ionto that jet engine and get shredded''. If you worry about invasive species, count the number of people on Earth... will take a very long time.
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Maureen Collings
25/5/2020 08:10:11 pm
How ever did an organisation of this kind get into such a high profile position...is it a case of providing pen pushers with something to do?
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Elaine Willingham
25/5/2020 08:37:45 pm
I can see no justifiable reason for any of these licenses being issued. Once again, it appears that as soon as a species gets in the way of any human activity, they must be removed. There is never any thought given to alternative action that would be mutually beneficial.
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Frank Courtney
25/5/2020 08:45:51 pm
I think your language, Jason, is remarkably restrained. Bizarrely it does seem that Natural England starts with the presumption that the applicant is right. The population of most birds on agricultural land continues to fall year on year, and Natural England is just helping it on its way. Thank you, Jason, for all your efforts on our joint behalves.
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Ray Howes
25/5/2020 09:08:11 pm
It would seem to me that with very few application refusals Natural England are taking the easy option and issuing a licence rather than investigate the legitimacy of the application. It's time they got off their backsides and did the job they are paid to do. If this too much trouble they need to step aside and let people with real concerns for our natural environment take over. It has to change.
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Huw Lewis
25/5/2020 09:19:37 pm
It is heartbreaking to hear of the issuing of the above licenses to trap and to kill by Natural England. All the actions that NE have licensed as you describe above in relation to killing of Egyptian Geese, Red Kites and the trapping of HUGE numbers of Marsh, Great and other tit species with a license issued to kill young Great Tit's is sickening. This Government body clearly serves no useful purpose in protecting our avifauna and needs radical reform.
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ROBERT SHARRATT
25/5/2020 09:25:38 pm
Natural England all want shooting.
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John Young
26/5/2020 10:49:10 pm
"Tory scum"???
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Anne Daish
25/5/2020 09:33:35 pm
Nothing like this is ever justified! It is simply murder.
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Sue Waton
25/5/2020 09:33:47 pm
I would very much like you to pursue these 3 licences, and request on our behalf that they are not renewed.
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Daniel Funnell
25/5/2020 09:34:09 pm
I am constantly saddened by the choices we make for the “betterment” of the human race. It is wildlife that undoubtedly suffers time and time again... ironically all life on earth would happily coexist and be balanced if we weren’t in the mix.
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Tom Scanlan
25/5/2020 09:41:06 pm
Jason,
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Ruth White
25/5/2020 09:47:09 pm
There is too much illegal killing of Red Kites as it is.
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Mike Orman
5/6/2020 12:24:39 pm
If you read the full update you should find the answers to your first two questions.
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Margo Nikolaev
25/5/2020 09:50:15 pm
It is truly pathetic when we humans, as the caretakers of the planet, supposedly because we are the smartest on the planet, trap, molest, traumatize and murder wildlife for reasons that are not "reasonable."
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stuart shelton
25/5/2020 09:58:46 pm
As an engineer I am not really qualified to comment but I am worried at some of our actions. Farmers eliminate the hedges and ditches so that Reynard has to eat in my garden. Bees are becoming rare and my apple trees bear ever decreasing amounts of fruit. No-one seems to care but no bees equals no food. At the same time, we are forbidden to shoot wood pigeons which constitute a real peas and would feed us well. Ban the use of American pesticides please.
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Les Warriner
25/5/2020 10:03:10 pm
This is a disgraceful situation. I was a student in Aberystwyth in the 70's and the opportunity to see the recolonisation by the Red Kite was a privilege. All the above begs the question : Is Natural England fit for purpose, and who do we ask for permission to cull it?
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john vaughan
25/5/2020 10:07:57 pm
These people are a cet of sunts.
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25/5/2020 10:09:34 pm
The fact that licensed are required means, surely, that the activity is questionable. Licenses should not be a rubber stamping process.
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Pam Flanagan
25/5/2020 11:10:11 pm
Have these cases been reported to the RSPB? Surely they should have something to say about this as their role is the protection of birds. I think Natural England should be abolished and a department of dedicated wildlife conservationists set up instead. It's appalling to trap small birds, they may well be nesting and if they survive the ordeal and are released they'll be confused and disorientated. It's a stressful experience they shouldn't have to endure for scientific research or any other reason. I find the killing of any wildlife abhorrent, they have as much right to live their lives as naturally and peacefully as we have the right to live ours. Natural England? Not in my name!
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Sue Jopson
25/5/2020 11:26:16 pm
We are no longer a member of the EU so we do not have to abide by their 'alien species' directive. Natural England should conduct their own investigation to see whether these 'alien' birds have a detrimental impact on our native species or not. The problem with destroying non native species is that as our climate and countryside change, more non native species may come and settle here as their usual habitats change and become less ideal. What do will Natural England do then - cull everything that comes here.
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Jan Lloyd
26/5/2020 12:10:33 am
Shoot red kites? Monstrous, barbaric and totally unacceptable. The sheer joy that the sight of those birds gliding overhead gives as a result of their introduction having been seen off once already by selfish, blood thirsty butchers, is something rare and welcome in these dystopian times. Keep fighting. This should not be happening to any birds purely to satisfy some people's inhuman bloodlust.
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Neil Cairns
26/5/2020 05:18:11 am
I wonder how many people really know what is happening about these licences. After my intial anger the only solution is to get huge public backing against these decisions. Keep up the great work 100% behind you.
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Marion Wolstencroft
26/5/2020 06:50:44 am
General Principes: Unless and until the UK can controle the growth of itshumn population this clash between nature and humans will hget worse. It should be acknowledged that, in the meantime we needto manage all these relationships in a positive way.
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Lee Kirkwood
26/5/2020 06:57:24 am
Totally agree with all the above comments. Why is the answer to everything kill or "examine"! It seems when humans are not allowed to kill or "examine" their own species they have to pick on something else! What is the matter with us!
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Charles
26/5/2020 08:44:09 am
I’d be very interested to see what someone with a background in the ethics of science has to say about the study into how the microbiome might affect tit behaviour. At the very least it seems strange that they have decided to include a species that is red listed.
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Arthur Mather
26/5/2020 08:48:32 am
The real problem is a lack of respect and compassion for living sentient creatures.
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Martin Johnson
26/5/2020 09:53:30 am
NE's default position is to grant control and kill licences. As we move closer to the critical climate tipping point and biodiversity disaster humans really must move away from 'controlling' wildlife by killing. We have to be more sympathetic in our approach to our natural world and creative in our attempts to avoid or mitigate conflicts with it. Killing should never be the answer except in the most extreme circumstances, where all other measures have been explored, trialled and failed. NE are clearly operating with the psychology of a previous era. This has to change. Keep up the pressure - you have widespread support.
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michael baker
26/5/2020 10:01:13 am
I deeply resent the killing of these birds. The poor excuses offered to gain the permissions are dubious to say the least. When I was in air traffic control RAF, we managed bird scaring without shooting the birds. As for the tits I simply would not give the licence,
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Valerie Conner
26/5/2020 10:03:42 am
Unbelievable that they call themselves Natural England, there is nothing natural about anything they do. Shocking to read your report, Red Kites, Egyptian Geese both still very rare it's shameful that the Red Kites who were threatened with extinction are now being culled, disgusting. There must be a number of other things they could do. Come on Natural England answer the questions being asked of you, stop hiding behind a cloak believing all you do is for the greater good, I think your wrong.
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Christine Cahalin
26/5/2020 10:15:43 am
How do they manage to retain the name “Natural England”? How misleading. Yes it’s time we humans learned to live alongside all of nature, instead of trying to manipulate it to our advantage. We’ve been here before....... do we ever learn?
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Chris Donahue
26/5/2020 10:21:32 am
Natural England (ONLY England I note) seems a remarkably low profile organisation. I'd like to know who they are and a clear publicised explanation of their decisions.
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Chesca
26/5/2020 10:30:38 am
Hi, It’s been a while but I did a degree and masters in biology. Unfortunately culling is a method used to prevent population crashes. If a population gets larger than the habitat can support it can badly affect other species and cause the population to decrease sometimeS even for the species to go extinct in that area. It’s a bit of rock and hard place solution. With the capture recapture study of adult birds it’s possible they want to use the red listed bird to evidence that harmful chemicals are making it to these red listed species in part to try and influence policy towards a cleaner and more environmentally friendly methods. Though it may be worth finding out the justification- to do any experiments on a living animal you need to provide justification of why it has to this way and not another way. This would be the same for baby birds-though not sure what experiment they are conducting to guess at the justification. Hope that helps understand the reasoning even if don’t agree with the methods.
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Malcolm Dean
26/5/2020 10:34:39 am
Should we not rename this misleadingly titled organisation?
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Andy Ward
26/5/2020 10:36:32 am
Do these people at Natural England really care about wildlife or are they just doing a job? That's an important question that need asking, & what qualifications do they hold to be in their current role?
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Karen Wilson
26/5/2020 10:47:10 am
I agree with some of the people leaving messages already - if something doesn't suit us then instead of using the imagination to find solutions so that birds are not killed but moved to areas that have none of the birds, they are just killed - and I agree with you too that someone in the little rooms off the corridors of the Min of Ag or wherever can just sanction the decision as a box ticking exercise without the wider picture being known or thought about. For a country which has produced so much in the way of innovation over the years, we show no imagination in this area. Not impressed with Natural England!
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BoB Howson
26/5/2020 10:48:09 am
I don't really think there's a best or worst case here but the capture of 1500 red listed Marsh tits just seems beyond ludicrous. What can be gained from taking faecal samples of birds that are on the red list and stressing 1500 of them? How much stress can they take? Oh no research done, you say. As for all the other species, what do NE do? Flip a coin to decide what to decimate from the requests received?
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Angie Mazgajczyk
26/5/2020 10:51:44 am
I agree with so much of what you have all contributed .
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Lorraine Cocksey
26/5/2020 10:56:22 am
Why do we (humans) always feel the need to kill / control everything. If a licence is issued in order to study or 'control' population numbers, then on that principle, why don't we issue a licence to 'control' the behavior of some human's ???? It seems to me we are the problem, not nature ! The only TIT'S that should be culled are the ones killing innocent creatures or issuing the licence's in the first place !!!!! Why can't we learn to live side by side with wild life ?? Most of which were probably here long before we were ??!! Time to enjoy these birds not kill them to extinction.
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Debbie Macmillan
26/5/2020 11:04:33 am
What NE is doing is as bad as the Chinese 'wet markets' and the horror of Eastern dog/cat festivals etc. there has been so many petitions against these dreadful events and rightly so but what is happening with ridiculous licences given out by NE is mass slaughter of any bird or animal (badgers/deer) by cruel and greedy hunters who will get as many as possible and won't be accounted for by NE. This won't help to save future pandemics as will become as bad as the source of the present one. Hunters are human but they are the dregs of any society and if the world and nature is to survive as it should, the only way to save it is to euthanise hunters/murderers immediately and NE should be sent packing!! Thank you for all you have been doing to get the truth out of NE as you have put a lot of your time into getting true answers but sadly like Defra and many others they are all corrupt and think they can do whatever they want to make money! Many of us are with you but some like myself are too old to help and 'locked in' at the moment and all I do is hope you will be able to get rid of NE and others like them. We are all but out of the EU now and their ideas should not be accepted still and UK needs to let nature and wildlife do their own thing as they are more than capable of doing so without CONservationists taking over and making huge mistakes as has become worse since 1997 with the likes of the Woodland Trust, and many more 'EMPIRE BUILDERS'
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Rod Leith
26/5/2020 11:33:32 am
There are large numbers of geese that live/nest along the River Thames at Christchurch Meadow in Reading. This includes a handful of Egyptian Geese. I cycle along the Thames path on my way to work. Last year, I noticed one family of Egyptian Geese with hatchlings. But after a few weeks their brood was down to one. Whether due to natural or human causes, this contrasted with the other (mostly Canada) geese hatchlings of which there were hundreds, in numerous family units. This is not my idea of "invasive", and if the deaths were natural, it would perhaps help explain why the Egyptian Geese numbers have not grown significantly - they seem to fare less well, when very young, than other species, at least in Reading. Certainly not a reason for them to be controlled by culling.
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Peter Scott
26/5/2020 12:33:54 pm
Natural England is not fit for purpose.
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Richard Crowe
28/5/2020 10:32:48 am
I would not say that an organization like Natural England should not exist but it should be redesigned as a radically different kind of organisation doing what its name might suggest actually promoting wildlife and a natural countryside and being active in that.
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Padraic Boocock
26/5/2020 12:54:00 pm
Natural England seems to have very little to do with nature or England and a great deal to do with enabling gratuitous hunting.
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K Pocklington
26/5/2020 01:08:37 pm
My understanding was that the re-introduction of Red Kites was one of the finest stories to do with the natural world. To go from the edge of extinction to security in numbers does not happen overnight. To the individual who spoke of seeing 200+ kites around an airfield - how fortunate you are. Red Kites must still be a vulnerable species, so why on earth license their being killed? Utter madness.
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26/5/2020 01:21:01 pm
I get more and more shocked by the awful list of killings of our wildlife. If we can't get any sense out of Natural England, what about tackling those receiving these licences and getting them to justify their applications to normal human being who abhor killing helpless small creatures
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Mrs Valda Williams
26/5/2020 04:12:41 pm
Absolutely fascinating (though distressing) reading again - including all the comments. Don't want any of this to happen, but due to my background, would love to know exactly what data and the value of same will be gained by these license holders. Maybe my abhorrence can be dampened down a little - though I doubt it!
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Tony Gibson
26/5/2020 05:41:54 pm
This is appalling, why are 'Natural England' (really) providing these licences. Do we not have anyone in this current government, as poor as they are, who would help shut this down? Tony
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Paul Deeley
26/5/2020 10:32:40 pm
A quick Google search shows that the airfield in question is RAF Benson, Oxfordshire. See-
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Dawn Taylor
27/5/2020 02:27:46 pm
We are no longer in the EU so why are we still following what they say? We don’t need to act on what they say should happen we can govern ourselves. If alien species cause no threat to our native birds then they should be left alone.
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jane Jones
27/5/2020 06:31:57 pm
As usual in this day and age everything is about money, with Covid 19 isn't it about time we stopped and looked at what People are doing to this planet the wildlife and the environment, The wealthy who are the proportionate hunters need to be stopped, why are we allowed to kill anything? nature will manage itself it does not need us! Natural England needs to be investigated and run and approved by Conservationists not gungho killers who do not care.
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Ilse Towler
30/5/2020 05:49:21 pm
Maybe the tit study will shed a light on the excess of antibiotics in the farmed environment? and therefore the chance for harmful mutations of diseases treated by those antibiotics.
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david greatbanks
2/6/2020 02:06:04 pm
natural england's job should be to look after natural england and not to issue licences to persecute and kill our
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Chris Wilkins
11/6/2020 10:38:36 am
Thank you for all your work on this - watching BBC Springwatch they celebrated red kites and their breeding success. As others have said, wildlife should be celebrated, protected and encouraged. I don't agree with issuing licences to kill Red Kites or for that matter Egyptian Geese - which might be an introduced species, but are doing no harm to our existing wildlife and are themselves an endangered species, so should be protected. Just because the EU said one thing, doesn't mean we have to follow unquestioningly.
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Xhen B
20/6/2020 05:43:47 am
not sure how you can stay calm - one could easily get riled, as this is quite an undertaking that you have doing.
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Martin Horton
18/7/2020 12:04:01 am
Natural England - "We're the government's adviser for the natural environment in England, helping to protect England's nature and landscapes for people to enjoy".
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