Landowners demand right to cull protected birds

Safari Maiden Wed May 11, 2011 11:31 am

Extract from Scotland on Sunday By Emma Cowing

LANDOWNERS are urging the new Scottish Government to let them to kill legally protected birds of prey to allow lucrative grouse moors to thrive and end the incentive for illegal poisonings
The Scottish Rural Property and Business Association (SRPBA) has called on Holyrood to grant licences to Scottish sporting estates that would allow the targeted culling of increasingly-common species such as buzzards and ravens.

Both species have been linked with the death of grouse chicks and many landowners believe that populations have grown so much that a limited cull would not harm overall numbers.

Crucially, it would also reduce the incentive for some land managers and gamekeepers to kill the birds illegally by poisoning or shooting.

Doug McAdam, the chief executive of the SRPBA, said: "The government have seemed reluctant to grant licences in this area and that is regrettable, and I would hope that (the new government] would really grasp this nettle because it can only help the problem."

The environment charity RSPB rejected the calls and said that it was a "bizarre" suggestion. Duncan Orr Ewing, head of species and land management at the RSPB, said: "I find this particularly bizarre and I think this is holding society to ransom.

"What people are effectively saying is you know we will obey the law if you give us the right to kill protected species. Society has decided that these birds need protection and are vulnerable."

At least five bird of prey species that became extinct in the UK have seen a dramatic reversal of their fortunes in recent years, including white tailed eagles which have been reintroduced in Scotland. But ospreys, buzzards, harriers and goshawks have all managed to re-establish themselves in this country and have seen their numbers increase in the past decade.

The call will be made in a BBC 2 Scotland documentary, which will be screened on Tuesday. The programme also examines claims that the law against killing birds of prey is being flouted across Scotland.

tigerburnie Wed May 11, 2011 10:51 pm

I watched this program and it certainly has put the cat amongst the proverbials up here,what was interesting is that in the borders they are experimenting leaving food near the nests of Hen Harriers,mice etc and not a single Grouse chick was taken to the nests in the trial.So if you are prepared to do some work,it is possible for a compromise where all can share in the habitat.

**littlewid** Sun May 15, 2011 6:22 pm

I don't agree with the unlawfull killing or poisoning of any animal, so for me that is a dead no no and one that really gets me cross. Culling these birds lawfully I am not sure would really happen either, maybe it's my cynical side that tells me the landowners would kill as many as they possibly could and would more than likely turn it into a sport to raise further money from killing animals.
Possibly I take a strange view on things but i don't agree with grouse shooting either and to me, the landowners are annoyed at the protected species taking their chicks because they then have less chicks to earn revenue from, they are only bred to fill their pockets with money; so to me, the other birds taking them which is natural is the same as the landowner except the birds don't earn any money from it.

littlewid-x-

**whitestarling** Sun May 15, 2011 6:44 pm

I posted this in the Debate section in reply to the same question, so I'll re-post it here
Re: Kill one animal to ensure another
whitestarling on Wed 11 May 2011 - 19:24

.I was going to post about Goshawkes in Raptors, but as SM has mentioned about killing Raptors on this thread I will post it here, as I think it’s relevant to the debate.
Chris Packham featured them in last weeks Animals Guide to Britain. They were the first Raptor to be persecuted to extinction in 1883, after the shotgun was invented, by Gamekeepers protecting Pheasants, and I presume Grouse shoot interests. But with the advent of WW1 Gamekeepers went into the Army, and the Goshawke bounced back. Presumably from captive Falconers Birds that had escaped, there was no re-introduction scheme carried out. They are now mostly found in upland areas of Britain, but in Europe they inhabit most areas, and would prefer to live in lowland woods were prey is more abundant. The reason that they have not spread again through out Britain is down to once again a handful of rogue Gamekeepers. The birds are breeding, but as the young dispearse from the upland areas to find new habitats. These gamekeepers are taking them out to protect the shoots once again. If a handful can do this what would happen to all the Raptors if it was declared open day on them. I think we can all guess.
So what’s the answer ? . The estates should raise more Grouse, and Pheasants so that there are enough for the Raptors to survive, and exist, and enough to enable shoots that bring in income for the Estates to allow them to carry on as well. They will then scream about the cost, so how do they cover the increase in their costs. They charge the well heeled clients who pay for the pleasure ?? of shooting these Game Birds. At least they will be making a contribution to our Wildlife
This really is a carry on from TB's question, about killing one animal to save another

WS
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Landowners demand right to cull protected birds

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Re: Landowners demand right to cull protected birds