For the benefit of those not on Twitter, last night MSP Mark Ruskell (Scottish Greens) tweeted that he is seeking an urgent meeting with Scottish Natural Heritage to discuss the raven cull licence. His colleague, Alison Johnstone MSP, will join him.
Well done and thanks to both of them for holding SNH to account.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Well done them. Should set an example to other MSPs and encourage them to get involved.
I’m back to letter writing.
Mike Cantlay Chair SNH
chair@snh.gov.uk
Francesca Osowska CEO SNH
Dear Mike Cantlay,
Last evening, I read your statement on the Perthshire Raven Cull.
I notice, you are continuing the diversionary tactic, of waxing lyrical about waders and their distinctive flights and calls (I would have added and their remarkable effervescent colouring) while mentioning ravens, only in terms of a maintaining a healthy national population. No mention then of a cull: shooting, trapping, poisoning, three hundred birds over five years.
I also noted, your reference to the ‘Understanding Predation’ review. A key sentence in it reads, “Ravens were considered to be a significant predator of ground-nesting birds but their nomadic behaviour and variations in population size across Scotland made it challenging to accurately assess their impact”. Given the Report was a joint effort by many (but not all) of the stake holders, it then repeatedly makes a plea for further joint research. Further joint research is the key message in the Report. Given that, one would have hoped that SNH would have taken a leading role in promoting that joint research. Who else has a statutory duty to do so? Instead, SNH has licensed this cull, without requiring even the most basic research, such as (at least) winter and summer counts, of all the species that are in the licensed area, now and for the duration of the licence. There is not even any published methodology to validate the death toll of three hundred.
You finished by saying that commentators have linked this study (this cull) to the illegal killing of birds of prey. The first reference, I have found was by Robbie Kernahan, when he announced the cull, “We understand the concerns over wildlife crime in Strathbraan, but we are also clear that the granting of this licence is wholly unconnected to the issues concerned”. Given that both the brazen killings and the cull are in the same area, it is no wonder that you and he raise the issue. However, because as (presumably) none of us know the names or entities, who “disappeared” five eagles (and many other birds) none of us can know, whether or not, these events are connected, in a joint enterprise. Personally, I’m quite sanguine about the fact that we live in a funny old world. However, I’m just amazed that SNH is not more careful, about choosing its friends and associates.
What a wonderful pair these two Greens are, Mark Ruskell and Alison Johnstone. They have become prominent in making waves with regard to the butchery that is allowed to go on, on our Scottish landscape. A butchery that is condoned because the Scottish Government ignores the cruelty of any “industry” that adds to the Scottish Gross Domestic Product, such as fish farming with its bad effects on our sea lochs, genetic contamination of wild salmon and killing of Seals and other creatures; shooting estates with their ever increasing list of what can be classed as vermin, now adding Ravens, and the illegal killing of Birds of Prey; the favouring of golf courses on protected sites containing unique species, poorly regulated “zoos”, and the movement of livestock in terrible conditions to markets abroad. The sinister figure of Fergus Ewing hangs over such issues.
When will we get a determined set of politicians from all of our parties, to root out those shooting estates and landowners who have become excessive in their demands for the killing of any creature that they may think will affect game bird numbers. The annual tragedy of the Mountain Hare culls, has left many outraged that such a creature is being so treated. What sticks in the gorge, is the totalitarian powers conferred on such estates and their gamekeepers, to be able to decide what can live and die in our countryside. Years and years of brainwashing the public installed blood sports as healthy and wholesome pursuits, which did the countryside a favour by getting rid of Crows and their kin, Birds of Prey, Foxes, Badgers, Stoats/Ferrets, Wildcats. Our Royal Family inculcated the Victorian blood sports life, and thus ensured Royal patronage on such species cleansing. Goering and his mad ideas on hunting would have been at home here!
The Scottish Natural Heritage, by all accounts, has become a puppet due to the power of those who hunt/shoot, having alleged influence over their policies. The shameful non-admission in court of video evidence of a gamekeeper killing a Bird of Prey and minor fines for wildlife crime offender, have given support to such claims of excessive influence on what constitutes law and order. Those who seek protection for wildlife have their hands tied.
When one communicates with a politician of the reigning party on wildlife conservation and animal welfare matters, one gets a trite reply containing the policy of that party, which insists it is acting humanely, and with expert advice backing its policy of maintaining the status quo. In other words, it is all scripted for them. To break this outlook, we will have to exert more and more pressure, and internationalise our problems, as they are part of a world wide destruction of the natural world by resource seeking companies and individuals. We have to instil in the minds and hearts of politicians and other decision makers, that climate change, the melting glaciers and ice caps, the threats of extinction to many species, water conflicts, people trafficking, drug cartels, trade in wildlife and its parts, pollution of the oceans with plastic waste, over-population, migration of people, political conflict, palm/soya/coffee/cocoa plantations, use of slave labour, mega-farming and live transport of animals, the genocide of tribal peoples, and many more abusive activities, are ALL LINKED. Unless we stabilise our demands and change to a more benign way of living, we will soon be bereft of the means to survive as we are doing at present. The Science Fiction world will become fact. WHAT HAS THE CONSENT TO KILL 300 RAVENS TO DO WITH THIS? It shows the indifference and ignorance of most of the political horde that thinks it governs wisely and humanely, towards the rest of what makes up Life on this planet, and its right to exist free from horror. There are politicians out there who understand this nightmarish situation we are in, and who valiantly support the growing swell of anger and outrage against those who are holding back the ethical progress of mankind. We have let cruel and greedy minorities indulge their vulgar and crass over-lordship of all Life, and contemptuously treated other humans and the natural world as their inferiors and fiefdom, respectively. Thank you Ruskell and Johnstone, you are truly Green warriors who care about all Life, and who see the full spectrum of what is impacting on Life in this world.
Excellent.
Agreed and very well said Mr H, Mark and Alison are brilliant and will take on issues based on what they personally think is right and wrong rather than what gives them the best political capital re getting cheap votes. I’ve met and been very impressed by both.
Wow! So powerfully put! Thanks.
So well put. Your words deserve a wider readership.
Greer Hart, Senior, thank you for your powerful message.
Mark and Alison the Green MSPs have a serious task at hand, which will lead to abuse from the shooting mob. I wish them well and hope they can stir the tide against the cruel, selfish and greedy killers that are behind the hideous killing of native birds.
The name of Greer Hart, Senior should be up there too! The comprehensive assessment in your last paragraph of what is wrong with the world today should be required reading for politicians of all denominations. To my mind, one of the biggest problems facing us is that this powerful minority has got itself so well entrenched that it will take a lot of shifting. This applies irrespective of whether we’re looking at the problems associated with DGS or the broader corporate greed which influences so many aspects of our daily life.
Well done Mark & Alison! Where is Roseanna?!