It's worse than we thought....
More than 70,000 birds spanning 65 species on Natural England Death List According to Natural England, Barn Owls, Swallows and House Martins pose a risk to public health. Yes, Natural England have been issuing licences to kill birds such as these iconic and treasured species, in the interests of 'health and safety'. As part of my ongoing campaign aimed at investigating, overhauling and restructuring Natural England, I've obtained some terribly shocking statistics for licences that they issued between 2014 and 2018. More than 70,000 birds spanning 65 species appear on the list which details the licences issued by Natural England, officially permitting the extermination of our native and migratory birds in vast numbers. Swallows, House Martins, Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Goldfinches and even Swans... While you recover from reeling at that figure, wait till you see just which species Natural England permitted licencees to kill. The list includes Swallow, House Martin, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Mallard and even two species of Swan. And many many more. Brace yourselves, it is a truly awful catalogue of our most cherished species, all of which are on the kill list of Natural England. Barn owl, Barnacle Goose, Bewick's Swan, Black Cap, Blackbird, Black-headed Gull Blue Tit, Brent Goose, Bullfinch, Canada Goose, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit Common Buzzard, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Crow, Curlew, Dunnock Egyptian Goose, Fan tailed Dove, Feral Pigeon, Golden Plover, Goldfinch, Goosanders Great black-backed Gull, Great Tit, Green Finch, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel Lesser black-backed Gull, Linnet, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Monk Parakeet Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink-footed Goose Raven, Red Kite, Red-breasted Merganser, Ringed Plover, Robin, Rook, Ruddy Duck Skylark, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Treecreeper, Wigeon, Willow Warbler Woodpigeon, Wren The information is vast and complex, I'm still wading through statistics which make for depressing reading. It seems that Natural England have been sanctioning the extermination of our bird life in huge numbers for years - and, one might suggest, for vague and spurious reasons. Whether it is to protect the fishing or farming industries or to 'preserve public health and safety', the whole system seems to be shambolic, mystifying and above all, shockingly brutal. It's hard to take it all in. So, allow me to select a few species and tell you the reasons that Natural England decided it was acceptable to exterminate them. Coot : 548 to preserve public health or safety / falconry aviculture. Cormorants : Several thousand to prevent damage to fisheries. Great Black Backed Gull : More than a thousand for scientific research and preserving fauna. Greylag Goose : Several thousand for damage to livestock and foodstuffs for livestock. Corvids (including Rooks and Jackdaws) : More than 2,500, including 1000 Crows House Sparrows : Hundreds allowed to be shot to 'preserve public health'. Swallows and House Martins were permitted to be killed, injured or taken 'by hand' to preserve public health or safety. Also their nests and eggs were permitted to be destroyed for similar reasons. Even 4 Barn Owls were permitted to be slaughtered ('by hand') in Dorset for being a threat to public safety. The list goes on - and on. If there is a glimmer of hope coming out of these awful revelations, then it is that 100,000 people have signed the petition to stop this mass killing of English birds. We are also getting the support of some respected members of parliament and one prominent MP has tabled a written question to Environment Secretary. I've also been in touch with new chief in waiting of Natural England, asking him to pledge his own commitment to overhaul the agency, making it more transparent and accountable to the public. Meanwhile I have requested a meeting with Environment Secretary Michael Gove, though so far I have had no response. It is vital that we keep on pushing our petition, especially at this stage where we are getting members of parliament behind us, only public pressure can stop Natural England from issuing these licences, bring about more transparency in their terrible licensing system and make them answerable to us, the British public. Thanks for all your amazing support, please keep sharing this, we can and will make a difference. Best, Jase Sign the petition HERE
47 Comments
Angela Frewin
19/2/2019 02:37:24 pm
Is the RSPB - Royal Society for the Protection of Birds - aware of this? Surely their large membership would support your petition.
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Keith Gillyon
19/2/2019 04:51:31 pm
You must be joking the RSPB kill more wildlife than anyone else
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John kingswell
26/2/2019 10:48:40 am
RSPB not fit for purpose.How can you allow or even encourage the mass slaughter of deer on a nature reserve. At Garston Wood (nature reserve)? There have all ways been allot of deer. Local people used to take their kids and grandkids to see them.It was all most an attraction in it's own right.Then the RSPB started fencing off selected area's. The deer were then squeezed into the smaller spaces and the browsing took it's toll witch it hadn't before. The RSPB refusing to accept that they had caused the problem took to the gun to solve it The reserve has recently been completely enclosed by a 8 foot fence excluding the deer all together. HOW CAN THIS BE A NATURE RESERVE?
Lorraine Pooley
19/2/2019 09:53:24 pm
Forget the lying, cheating RSPB, who have misled the Public & lied to Members about what was happening truthfully to our wild and free birds. THEY ALL KNOW even Chris Packham! Come on! They have ALL had my wrath and questions for years about their pathetic PR about the Sparrow & Starling they just kept sharing are in decline BUT not doing anything. Now I know why. Natural England, Natural Resources Wales & Natural Scotland Heritage have been shooting them for years! Knew it! But could not prove it. I volunteered for all the Charities. Super Campaigner for the Woodland Trust and saw through them & left! I’m so mad I feel like suing them all for all my memberships. They are all land grabbing agents and letting Gunmen probably shoot on their land! RSPB are. The Press feature is out there to read. Thanks @SaveOurSparrows Lorraine
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21/2/2019 07:10:30 am
Dear Lorraine, the dutch organisation Vogelbescherming, which has similar goals and similar campaigns as the RSPB, is a similar cheating and lying bunch as what you describe the RSPB is. 21/2/2019 09:19:53 am
Hi Lorraine, on the subject of "(massive) loss of habitat of House Sparrows when renovating houses to reduce CO2 emisions I made a presentation for the Urban Sparrow meeting 2016. If you check out the link you will see what I mean with massive loss of habitat.
Gary Pritchard
1/3/2019 12:14:17 pm
All landowners have to report deer numbers on an annual basis by law to the government. It’s the government who set cull limits not a charity or the landowner themselves. It’s all based on food resources and there being enough to sustain the deer population. It also ensures the gene pool stays healthy. I’m sure taking your kids to see a deformed/starving deer would do more harm than seeing the majestic specimens you do now. I’m not an anti or a pro hunt person but I’d rather they be cared for than have them lead a miserable life.
Ben Fraser
19/2/2019 10:21:59 pm
I am sorry but I don't believe your story. The British puplic would never stand for that. Perhaps the rich and estate owners,may do that,but not Joe Blogg. I for one would stop any one for killing defenceless creatures Take the bagger cull ,we didn't stand for it Cats kill more birds than anything
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Tina Jordan
22/2/2019 07:24:37 pm
Ben, what are you talking about? The Badger Cull hasn’t gone away - they killed more last year than in all the previous years added together!
Lorraine Pooley
19/2/2019 11:53:10 pm
Don’t be too sure of a high percentage of RSPB Members coming out in sympathy for what Jason is sharing. YES many are aware and their FB Page Iv been watching and commenting for months on & off. Individuals maybe. But their days of Big Garden Bird Watch are over. Sharing DATA I believe is wrong., there is a strong correlation between ringing and researching with Decline. Im incensed thst Iv paid membership till 2014 when I felt uneasy about what I was hearing from other passionate Volunteers. Liars.
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Elaine
21/2/2019 07:04:56 am
https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/17435010.chris-packham-launches-new-not-for-profit-dedicated-to-prosecuting-public-bodies-which-fail-to-protect-wildlife-and-threatens-were-coming-for-you/
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Jill Warren
24/2/2019 12:16:11 am
The RSPB are murderers as well. They shoot foxes.
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Jeg
6/3/2019 02:05:38 pm
Do you think that is just for the fun of it or to give endangered ground-nesting birds the opportunity to breed successfully and increase to a point that they can survive alongside Foxes and other predators?
Alex
24/2/2019 11:03:33 am
I am sure that most members will support this, and no doubt some already have done so. The situation for their hierarchy in their plum jobs at Sandy is very different . They are the same 'species swarm ' as their counterparts at Natural England . Driven by self - importance and ambition.
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clint
19/2/2019 03:26:53 pm
Not sure about the RSPB being willing to counter government led or condoned actions.
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GPC
19/2/2019 03:47:38 pm
Huge Industrial Wind Turbines are also responsible for many bird deaths. Not always so “green”
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Colin Honeyman-Smith
19/2/2019 04:33:00 pm
Wind turbines come around about 10th on the list of causes of deaths of birds.
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Susan Harvard
23/2/2019 04:39:47 pm
Has anyone produced figures for the number of farmland birds that would be annihilated by that 250 mph white elephant called HS2 ?
Ray J Taylor
19/2/2019 03:50:29 pm
This is indeed shocking. I guess Natural England (& Scotland?) work on the basis of what you don’t know can’t hurt you and is probably nothing to do with individuals or any protectionist organisations. These birds or any wildlife have a right to live. If they are causing problems, IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT. We are the problem and solutions should be sort to alleviate any conflict with human habitation. Just exterminating the wildlife is not necessarily the answer, not on this scale anyway.
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Karen
19/2/2019 03:51:19 pm
Surely RSPB or the BTO would support this petition or at least have a say in the licensing issues with Natural England direct.
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Cara
19/2/2019 03:57:20 pm
More info here https://naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2018/12/12/the-facts-about-licences-for-wild-birds/
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Clifford Luty
19/2/2019 05:14:20 pm
This latest news on the actions of Natural England is horrible. Perhaps they should rename themselves as Unnatural England!!
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Frances Button
19/2/2019 05:52:28 pm
Natural England must be playing directly into the hands of the government who hate wildlife, let me rephrase this the government must be paying Natural England to do their dirty work for them. I have never heard such a load of absolute rubbish, what would we do without the favourite expression Health & Safety disgusting.
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Lesley Gemmell
19/2/2019 07:24:31 pm
Absolutely shocking! Wrens and Robins, you couldn’t make it up! I would be very surprised if the RSPB, BTO and RSPCA are happy to go along with this. Chris Packham too!
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Lorraine Pooley @SaveOurSparrows @GatherStarlings
19/2/2019 08:58:27 pm
I’m at a loss for nice words NOW. Can’t think straight after hearing this & years of suspecting and accusing RSPB BTO to come clean about what they were not telling us. They have ALL including Chris Packham been hiding behind the word DECLINE. The MURMURATIONS. Looking after their favourite birds !!! At the expense of our Wild Birds roaming FREE beyond their Nature Reserves. They all in on this. Environment Agency, Angling are massively being treated WELL by Natural England and Defra. Mark my word Iv been campaigning for years in Nature and PLEASE see past these so called Experts and listen to Jason and others like myself who have been researching them through volunteering. Not intentional at first but then I caught wind of wrong doings before 2014. But could not prove anything but I wrote about it in my blogs. I’m distrsraught. Sorry but I’m a Kidney Transplantee passionate at defending Nature And Wildlife from Lancashire and suffer from PTSD which this has fuelled more.
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Alastair
19/2/2019 09:01:05 pm
We get upset about other countries not protecting their wild life (Elephants, tigers, etc) and then find we are just as bad. Are the RSPB sitting on their hands?
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Lorraine Pooley
19/2/2019 09:50:19 pm
Oh yes RSPB have misled the Public & lied to Members about what was happening truthfully to our wild and free birds. They have had my wrath and questions for years about their pathetic PR about the Sparrow & Starling they just kept sharing are in decline BUT not doing anything. Now I know why. Natural England, Natural Resources Wales & Natural Scotland Heritage have been shooting them for years! Knew it! But could not prove it. I volunteered for all the Charities. Super Campaigner for the Woodland Trust and saw through them & left! I’m so mad I feel like suing them all for all my memberships. They are all land grabbing agents and letting Gunmen probably shoot on their land! RSPB are. The Press feature is out there to read. Thanks @SaveOurSparrows Lorraine
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20/2/2019 11:05:35 am
This is totally unreal , do these people come from another planet
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Graham Hall
20/2/2019 11:31:01 am
I'm shocked by this but before I get on my soapbox I need to see the evidence. Where are the stats? None of your links seem to work. The link to sign the petition works but not the evidence about, say 4 barn owls being killed by hand. Thanks, Graham
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Helen
9/4/2019 09:55:46 am
From freedom of information request.https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/538115/response/1310744/attach/4/Bird%20Lethal%20Control%20spreadsheet.xlsx?cookie_passthrough=1
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Simon Beadle
20/2/2019 01:03:52 pm
Unbelievable this murder of innocent beings! Wild birds have never harmed us. They live their lives as nature intends them to. They are useful against pests such as insects and mice. This killing has got to stop.
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20/2/2019 04:34:30 pm
Please stop this barbaric waste of like how the hell can these beautiful creatures be a health hazard disgusting
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Dianne
20/2/2019 05:07:28 pm
I have been a member of most of the organisations mentioned here, for many years, in the belief that I was, in some small way, helping to protect our British wildlife. I am horrified at all of the accusations displayed here, I find it very hard to believe that I have been 'conned' by all of them. I also find it very hard that we, as a nation , profess to be nature lovers and yet we end up as perpetrators of a terrible injustice. Talk about 'pot calling the kettle black'. So who WILL stand up for these innocent creatures? It is all about money, I am too angry to pass further comment.
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21/2/2019 01:11:23 am
This sort of enantiodromia in which an organisation collapses into the pursuit of the OPPOSITE of its avowed goals marks, in this case, another increment in the collapse now on us of cartesian & Late Modern science. The whole affair must as an historical matter collapse because of the insupportable burden of these now-overwhelming internal contradictions.
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Michael Wood
21/2/2019 11:02:09 pm
I was shocked at the Raven Cull that was happening in Scotland. I was disturbed by more recent postings on social media that garden birds were being 'legally killed' for the purpose of housing development. The Tory government was blamed... then I heard that the same thing was happening years ago the last time Labour was in power... I was appalled.
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Susan Harvard
23/2/2019 05:02:28 pm
Shocked as I am by the statistics, as a keeper of a small rare breed of sheep, I know how damaging the impact of increased raven numbers are. If you had seen the modus operandi of these clever corvids you might understand why they should be selectively culled: a ewe lambs her first twin, they sit and wait; when she is delivering the second twin they attack the first, pecking its eyes out so that to cannot see to escape, then ripping its tongue out when it cries for help; then they proceed to the eat its guts via the new navel. Once they have been successful in one attack they will visit day after day to watch and listen for any newborns. Don't you think a farmer is justified in putting an end to their depredations?
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22/2/2019 01:02:51 pm
This is heartbreaking. How does it happen? Why can't it be stopped?
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Gavin
22/2/2019 03:39:41 pm
Is there any facet of this country now that isn’t sick and warped? Natural England – you’re nothing other than the avian version of the Nazi SS Einsatzgruppen ! This country makes me puke and all its fascist shithouse official bodies.
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Julie Wright
22/2/2019 03:41:28 pm
I’ve shared this extensively on FB and Twitter. Just seen an article about this in the Guardian. Thank you for bringing this to people’s attention. We won’t have any wildlife left, under this Government. It’s bad enough now in he EU, what’s going to happen when we’re out.
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john pulham
22/2/2019 10:26:33 pm
Name and shame these morons, and leave our wildlife alone !!!.
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Lizzybusy
23/2/2019 08:24:30 pm
Your blog is shocking. Thanks for the expose.
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Sharon obrien
23/2/2019 11:05:32 pm
Stop the killing of birds otherwise .we will have no wildlife birds left .we are suppose to.save wildlife and animals not kill them
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Mike Gittens
25/2/2019 09:19:55 pm
Is there a list of birds culled per airport?
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Samantha Mitchell
27/2/2019 09:48:16 am
Could we please ask Michael gove why the head of natural England who grants these is actually a big Tory funder and also in charge of developing brown sites for Linden homes and not a qualified environmental scientist!!!??? I'm sure there can't possibly be any corruption going on. It's just that in my masters studies at the London school of hygiene and tropical medicine, there is no mention of the public health threats of barn owls and finches!!!!
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Matt
2/3/2019 09:55:48 pm
I agree with culling - if the animal in question isn't a threatened species and large numbers of them are detrimental to the ecosystem.
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Zoe Wild
22/3/2019 08:05:47 pm
Dear all
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