The RSPB is calling on the new Secretary of State for the Environment, Theresa Villiers, to instigate an independent review of grouse moor management in England, similar to the much-anticipated Werritty review which is about to report in Scotland.
The RSPB’s Conservation Director Martin Harper appears in an impassioned video, explaining that self-regulation has failed and why urgent reform is required. The RSPB continues to push for a licensing system to regulate grouse moor management and red grouse shooting:
Martin has also written a blog (here) where he discusses two aspects of grouse moor management (illegal raptor persecution and heather burning on peatlands) that have led to the RSPB’s renewed calls for reform.
Some believe that shoot and/or estate licensing won’t work, largely due to the same enforcement weaknesses that have led to the current failures in regulating this industry. Some believe that only a ban will suffice. What was fascinating to see at the Revive conference this weekend was a growing realisation amongst the public that no matter what their particular motivation for grouse moor reform (e.g. environmental, animal welfare or social injustice concerns), they are all inter-linked and they all lead to the same conclusion.
Whatever your view, something has to change and these calls are just going to keep getting louder and louder…….
Raptor Persecution UK 
Well said Martin! These calls from the RSPB are somewhat echoed by this petition (second time for it now) to get a proper economic analysis of DGS – which grouse moor proponents definitely don’t want! Please sign, share and promote we are getting very close to the twelfth! https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/267060?fbclid=IwAR1KnEJe7-wMOBXitbiZizHf2EQ0CpNH9s7BHGOe8C-D5LpzRRB_ZISTYgE
Check out the desperate lies from the tweedies in the youtube comments.
I see that the fieldsports channel are now trying fleece their supporters for cash. Lining their pockets with cash as their fan base goes down the pan.. desperate times. Hopefully change will come soon.
That appalling video Charlie Jacoby of the FC did a couple of weeks ago about Chris P and Mark A being banned from speaking at the Game fair was originally meant as one for the Channel’s share holders. I can’t imagine any competent investor looking at Jacoby’s performance on that and being happy with him continuing to be its front man. He’s becoming a Robin Page type character and if he’s at the FC’s helm it could very well be heading for the rocks.
The great pretenders (or upper class louts) who rule the grouse shooting cabal cannot be regulated. The environment within which they operate allows all manner of wildlife crimes and cruelty to be committed, with little chance of being caught or punished under the law of the land. I hesitate to introduce this belief, but the so-called regulation of their activities can be just as easily bypassed under the strict regulations being proposed. It would simply be too expensive to implement a sufficient level of policing, resulting in no better crime prevention than at present. All manner of ‘scientific truths’ will be twisted by self-promoting ‘research’ bodies, like GWCT.
The only route towards ridding our society of such cruelty and illegality arising from grouse shooting (driven or otherwise) is to end the right of anybody to engage in a so-called ‘sport’ which focuses on killing wildlife for little more than satisfying an evolved trend in our species, which is morally unacceptable and causes distress to people who are more caring and sensitive towards wildlife. Then we can truly appreciate the diversity of nature.
If the law doesn’t work, why would licensing? Who would pay for it? The resources needed to properly enforce such a system would be monumental.
That’s why many of us are in favour of a complete ban on DGS.
I wish the RSPB were for an outright ban. The conservation bodies need to be united in this to effect change.
Definitely..rampant persecution of all species of plant,insect,reptile,bird and mammal in pursuit of one goal of shooting tens of thousands of red grouse every season is just not just in this day n age. Species survival has enough problems of its own to encounter without the ignorance of the privileged few.
How dare they
Regulate it like the deer sector. You don’t see many issues there in terms of illegality from operators and landowners get to pursue whatever policy they see fit within the law from the 150 stag forest to the Wild Land regeneration project. Within reason of course.
The additional protection here is the 101 criteria inc Deer Management Groups public interest objectives they need to deliver at the threat of statutory management.
The deer sector has just had a great assessment by SNH and has demonstrated they can deliver when under pressure. Fantastic success story.
My own view is this strategy is far more likely to succeed ie the carrot not the stick for two reasons; 1) they are the same people!, 2) it is the incentive they are crying out for. Totally agree that some of the self regulation hasn’t worked at all but look at the history of deer as an example! We can get there pretty quickly when we try.
Licensing may well be part of this but we are not there yet, it is one or two steps forward. A ban I fear wouldn’t get the results we all want.
The primary reason for this is the state and taxpayer can get these results quicker by incentivising these well funded landowners to do it for us.
It’s about the environment as a bigger picture and change is required beyond the birds.
The deer sector killing doesn’t work even on the inner aspect of the Green Belt around the capital city. Poaching, men going out with dogs and guns after deer -and shooting still so commonplace it’s not something folk respond to.
If killing of birds, deer , badger whatever can happen illegally a mile or so out from Edinburgh city bypass ,even a stone’s throw from RSPB offices, then I’ve seen enough to convince me licensing will never work.
I agree with Iain. Gun licences can even be issued to folk with past history of alcohol abuse,as I’ve seen happened to somebody who regularly shot near me,
why in this day and age are those in vicinity forced to endure sound of folk shooting for fun the very creatures so many of the rest of us love to see?
Deer doesn’t work, there are far too many of them in the highlands preventing proper habitat regeneration because the estates that shoot deer commercially want high densities so clients get what they want.
Management of upland moorland for grouse is also a major contributory factor to the flooding events recently seen in North Yorkshire and elsewhere. Heather burning and cutting, drainage and over grazing all contribute to carbon loss and rapid water run off. Grouse moors are far from natural environments with significant consequences for our native flora and fauna and the consequences of the intensive upland management needed for driven grouse shooting are felt over a far wider area than the moors themselves. Wildlife persecution is only a small part of the problems that driven grouse shooting inflict on their wider communities. Driven Grouse shooting benefits only a tiny fraction of the population but the harmful consequences impact very many more of us. Unfortunately even among the well informed and aware there are few in these communities who feel able to speak out against the land owning classes. As stated by the previous commentator ‘change is required beyond the birds’.
This so called sport is past it’s sell by date.
Shooting birds for fun needs to stop.
It’s not good for wildlife, the environment and for the general public.