As we all continue to wait for the publication of Professor Werritty’s report on driven grouse shooting, the usual suspects have been busy putting together a damage limitation programme to save their sorry necks.
An ‘informal alliance’ has been created under the banner of RELM (Rural Environment Land Management) ‘to help co-ordinate and streamline responses and communications ahead of the publication of the final report‘ and its first offering is this briefing document for MSPs which was distributed by Scottish Land & Estates a couple of weeks ago:
Here’s the intro blurb:
Grouse moor management has been the subject of much attention during the summer period across a range of issues such as the environment and species conservation, satellite tagging and wildlife crime, mountain hares and the start of the season on August 12.
With the Scottish Government’s review into grouse moor management due to be published shortly, rural organisations wished to provide the following update to parliamentarians. We would be pleased to provide additional detail where required.
Ah, how thoughtful. Amusingly, several MSPs have sent us a copy of this briefing document with comments along the lines of ‘You might want to say a few things about this’.
We’re grateful to those MSPs because yes, we do want to say a few things about the document’s contents and we wouldn’t otherwise have had an opportunity had they not shared the briefing with us.
We’re not posting the full briefing document here, yet. Instead we intend to blog about different aspects of it in turn.
Today we’re looking at the page entitled ‘Wildlife Crime’ and its five paragraphs of propaganda:
Propaganda paragraph 1:
Yes, significant media attention does remain focused on wildlife crime, and particularly illegal raptor persecution because everyone else finds it abhorrent and can’t understand why it still goes on and why the grouse shooting industry continues to shield the criminals involved. It’d be interesting to know what, exactly, these five organisations have done to crack down on raptor persecution as part of their claimed ‘full commitment to improving prevention, detection and prosecution’.
Propaganda paragraph 2:
No surprises here. This is a blatant attempt, yet again, to discredit the RSPB’s annual Birdcrime Report which was published a couple of weeks ago and showed that confirmed raptor persecution crimes in Scotland in 2018 had doubled from those recorded in 2017. These cases included a peregrine poisoned in the Pentland Hills, near Edinburgh; a buzzard found to have been shot twice, in South Lanarkshire; a buzzard caught in an illegal trap, in Inverness-shire; and a hen harrier caught in a spring trap in Perthshire. All of these incidents occurred on, or close to, land being managed intensively for driven grouse shooting.
With this level of relentless criminality, it’s no wonder the grouse shooting industry apologists want to infer that the RSPB’s data are ‘unofficial’. Fine. We’ll come back to this later this autumn when the Government publishes its annual wildlife crime report, which we know will include all of the confirmed incidents already reported by the RSPB.
Propaganda paragraph 3:
This is perhaps the most cynical of attempts to downplay the disgusting reality of the criminality still being committed on some driven grouse moors. And the first sentence of paragraph 3 is actually a lie. Not being pursued by Police Scotland? Er, ALL the cases of alleged raptor persecution that have been reported from grouse moors over the last few months are still considered to be live criminal investigations by the Police, according to the investigations officer we spoke to yesterday.
So, the satellite-tagged hen harrier that was found dead on a grouse moor in Strathbraan with an illegal spring trap clamped to its leg – it’s still the subject of a criminal investigation by the police.
The two satellite-tagged golden eagles (Adam and Charlie) that ‘disappeared’ in suspicious circumstances on another grouse moor in Strathbraan, on the same morning as each other – they’re still the subject of a criminal investigation by the police (as are several other alleged offences uncovered during the police search).
The hen harrier that was found caught by its leg in a spring trap that had been set illegally next to its nest on a grouse moor in South Lanarkshire – it’s still the subject of a criminal investigation by the police.
The buzzard that was caught inside a legal cage trap on the same South Lanarkshire grouse moor but was then allegedly beaten to death by someone arriving on a quad bike after dark and using a key to open the padlocked door of the cage – it’s still the subject of a criminal investigation by the police.
The young golden eagle that was photographed flying around in the Cairngorms National Park with an illegal trap clamped to its leg – it’s still the subject of a criminal investigation by the police.
And as for the claim that estates have issued ‘unprecedented and emphatic rebuttals’ – er, there’s nothing unprecedented about that! Estates have always denied any involvement in any of the wildlife crimes that have been uncovered on their land – it’s what they do!
Propaganda paragraph 4:
Ah yes, convicted gamekeeper Alan Wilson, dubbed by the press as ‘Scotland’s worst wildlife killer‘. Yet again, the link between Wilson’s filthy criminal activity uncovered at Henlaw Wood and driven grouse shooting is kept well hidden. Yes, the Longformacus Estate was managed for low ground pheasant shooting but it was also managed for driven grouse shooting – a fact that Scottish Land & Estates doesn’t like to mention!
And speaking of Scottish Land & Estates and it’s so-called ‘full commitment’ to tackling wildlife crime, it still hasn’t said whether the Longformacus Estate was a member at the time these crimes were committed and if so, whether that membership has now been terminated? We asked SLE this question on 22 August 2019. Still waiting for an answer….
Propaganda paragraph 5:
Of course they continue to call for tougher penalties – how can they not? But they know as well as we do that the severity of the penalty is utterly irrelevant if the perpetrators of these crimes can’t even be identified, let alone prosecuted.
And as long as evidence continues to be destroyed and employers continue to shield their criminal employees by instructing them to give ‘no comment’ interviews to the police, nothing will change.
Fortunately, there are more and more savvy MSPs in the Scottish Parliament who have seen through the greenwash and know exactly what’s going on. If you think your MSP isn’t one of those, it’d be worth dropping them an email with a link to this blog.
Raptor Persecution UK 
The grouse shooting industry’s re’butt’al doesn’t have a moor to stand in when it comes to their pathetic responses to their own members’ criminal activities.
As I type their will be many keepers heading off on their quad bikes to empty the thousands of traps and snares strewn all over the moorlands, and if a raptor happens to show itself after a night roosting in the heather then good luck to it surviving another day.
I watched an episode of Poldark last evening; the 18th Century mindset of the nasties in that era remind me of the mindset of the present day grouse shooting fraternity.
For crikes sake – bring an end to the wildlife criminals who are still set in the 1800’s mindset.
Over the past months the SGA have brought their full weight to bear on their campaign for the access to sat tracker data. Their leaders have preached, tried persuasion and latterly begged their supporters to get onboard.
Astonishingly they have managed to scrape nearly 2000 signatures (some of whom actually live in Scotland!) to support their petition. Given the determination of their efforts we have to assume that there was full participation.
This pathetic turnout has revealed the shooting industries claims of being widely supported across the land (even in the countryside) as being nothing more than empty rhetoric. They have exposed themselves very effectively.
Our MSP’s will recognise this as being unworthy of their attention- also they will begin to realise that the SGA is a tiny lobby group who have been given more access than they deserve.
I just wish that Werritty had been enabled to do a proper job.
RE(a)LM pretty much says it all. They want to be lords and masters over their land and not have to listen to people dictate what they can and cannot do. All the time getting handouts left, right and centre from taxpayers. Well you can’t have your cake and everybody else’s cake too. That’s all coming to an end.
‘opponents of grouse shooting’ first line of para three. Who exactly are these opponents?
Unless I have this very wrong, neither Mark Avery, Ruth Tingay or Chris Packham are opposing grouse shooting. They may not like it, but that is very different to opposing it. Surely what all three are opposing is Driven Grouse Shooting. This may seem a small distinction to some, but I not only think it an important distinction, but it allows the SGA et al to further muddy the waters.
Sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong.
As a lifelong opponent of all grouse shooting, I find it depressing to have my conservation heroes described as either neutral, or possibly even supportive, on the subject of grouse shooting. This involves taking libertarian ethics too far. My own experience over a period of fifty years birdwatching on local grouse moors has been highly revealing on the nature of Red Grouse, and the alleged impact of everything from American Mink (generally scarce on grouse moors), Red Foxes (relatively common) and Hen Harriers (ruthless persecution by gamekeepers as the opportunity arises). Throughout my long term studies the overall predation rate on the harrier population (14 pairs in the best years) averaged around 30% of established nests, in years when gamekeepers were most active.
My study area extended over five grouse-shooting estates, and three nests were recorded, using fixed CCTV over a four-year period. Only one failed due to predation by foxes (i.e. ‘natural’ predation), The overall productivity of harriers flourished during the middle years, when keeper activity was at its lowest. It became clear to me that the birds were more productive during years of high field vole numbers combined with midsummer peaks of fledged Meadow Pipits. Not a single grouse, adult or chick, was recorded being fed to nestling broods of Hen Harriers.
It’s opposed by strawmen.
I think there’s a bit of a Freudian slip in paragraph 4, where they talk about their ‘condemnation of the recent conviction of a gamekeeper’, instead of the condemnation of a gamekeeper who was recently convicted!
Ha, well spotted.
‘to help co-ordinate and streamline responses and communications ahead of the publication of the final report‘.
They don’t even find that remotely ridiculous or embarrassing. Says it all.
This is a great read – fantastic to know there are MSPs who support you (us) in appraisals of driven grouse shooting methods.
As I’m sure you will, it’s certainly worth keeping an eye on all manner of media outlets as I daresay some will pick up on the comments of “RELM” and run with them as if factual.
Also hilarious to see that another group has had to be created to release this – are individual shooting societies not confident enough to make such remarks on their own?
As ever, brilliant to read and it appears that there is real concern from those practising illegal management and methods on grouse moors. I’ll whisper it quietly but things appear to be turning…
Strange to emphasise on “summer” is this trying to say that the crimes only happened in summer 2018? or 2019? 0r whenever? Crime free at all other times????? Therefore: a rogue elements (bad apple)?
Damage limitation?
Weaselly words as usual and meaningless too.
They know who is involved in their tiny community. They could eradicate the crimes very quickly if they wanted to.
Doug
Thanks for tearing this apart RPUK. Hopefully RELM is a sign that the Werrity report will really hit a few nails on the head after all and that worries them. Have they had prior information as to what it contains?
‘Our organisation ‘wholeheartedly’ condemn all forms of wildlife crime & fully commit to improving prevention detection & prosecution’ What a load of hypocrisy! Organisation of prevalent nasties!
Just came across this incredibly well written post in the RSPB campaigning update sitting in my email inbox. Just wish this was a bit more public, I imagine even most RSPB members haven’t signed up for the updates – https://community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/scotland/posts/grouse-moor-management—150-years-overdue-for-reform?utm_source=campaigns_update_sep19&utm_medium=email&utm_content=b5_cta
OOPS,are they worried much ? hmm I reckon so ! Great those MSPs sent the info on to you guys !! The petition doing the rounds gaining so many signatures must have them kecking it, rightly so too !! Fed up with this archaic so called “sport” and the damage it causes to the environment and our precious wildlife,it needs to be banned !! That Werrity report seems to have taken FOREVER !! be interesting to see what it has to say .Good work you guys, keep fighting, you have many in support
They doth protest too much, methinks!
Please can everyone give the Wild Justice petition to ban driven grouse shooting one last push amongst friends and family. WJ only need to obtain another 362 signatures to create a gap in support between their and the anti ban grouse shooting petition of 100,000. The link for the Wild Justice petition is https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/266770
Thanks,
Watching Greta today
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/23/greta-thunberg-speech-un-2019-address
it struck me the that this exactly how i feel about the Scottish government regarding raptor persecution. The Trump in this comparison is the English government particularly Theresa Coffey. Of course continuing raptor persecution beyond the next 10 years is not going to mean the end of civilisation as we know it but on the other hand one requires the combined efforts of every country in the world and one just requires one, the Scottish government. When i point out this failure to my MSP in much milder language than Greta, he gets offended and he is one of the 5 Scottish Environmental Ministers responsible for this failure.
Is there a link between claimed “low levels of raptor persecution” and hardly any raptors over the moors?