The Northern England Raptor Forum (NERF) is the representative body of voluntary raptor fieldworkers across the north of England, including in many of the raptor persecution hotspots in this region.
NERF is a well-respected organisation in conservation circles and has been at the forefront of the fight against the illegal killing of birds of prey, with its members often the first to raise the alarm to the police when suspected raptor persecution incidents have been uncovered.
NERF has also been involved in the many ‘partnership’ efforts over the last few decades that have tried, but failed, to tackle these pervasive crimes.
The group has standing, experience, and real skin in the game.
Steve Downing, NERF Chair, is a man who doesn’t mince his words. He’s written an open letter to Defra Ministers, including the newly-appointed Secretary of State for the Environment, Emma Reynolds, laying out previous Government failures to get on top of this issue and telling her that enough is enough, the time for talking is over.
It’s well worth a read – here.
If Steve’s letter resonates with you, it wouldn’t hurt for you to write to your own MP in support of NERF’s stance. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain. Politicians won’t act if they don’t know that illegal raptor persecution is an issue of concern amongst their constituents.
If you haven’t written to your MP before, why not give it a go? If you’re not sure who your MP is, you can find out here.
Raptor Persecution UK 
What an excellent letter/report from Steve Downing!
I agree, we need to continually lobby our MPs. I routinely copy mine into relevant RPUK X and Bluesky posts… together with copies to national political parties. Costs nothing but a few clicks, since Ruth has done all the work:-)
This week Friends of the Dales held a Zoom webinar: Eyes on the Skies. It was open to anyone…
“Our powerful new campaign− Eyes on the Skies −calling for an end to illegal killing of birds of prey in the Yorkshire Dales featuring our guest speaker Kate Jennings, UK Head of Site Conservation & Species Policy, RSPB who will talk about the scale and impact of their persecution.”
It attracted up to 90 participants and included covert RSPB video of acts of brutality carried out against hawks and owls, the arrest of a game keeper, together with loads of raptor crime statistics. Most appeared shocked and impressed…
The recent Scottish experience of licensing grouse shooting was a prominent chat topic after the talk (as was getting wildlife crime officially recorded), and Kate Jennings – whilst acknowledging the loopholes in the legislation – thought it was still a triumph just to get the subject of licensing accepted into legislation.
Nation-wide Zoom meetings seem an excellent tool, to me. Plantlife – for example – have been doing increasingly interesting national Zoom webinars, some highly technical stuff. Lots of local Zoom wildlife webinars take place, but they are restricted in both scope and reach.
Food for thought… ?
Yep the letter says it as it is and has been for decades, and is passionate in the right places. However I just wonder whether this minister might have too many allegiances to the grouse shooting elites (being close to the City / investment world) I would be (pleasantly) surprised if NERF received a reply that was anything other than the usual sounds-good-does-nothing flummery.
i agree with you sphagnum when I read the statement illegal killing of birds of prey I can’t believe I’m reading it in 2025 it breaks my heart and soul beautiful things should be cherished there’s enough misery in the world. I get standard ‘ not wanting to upset anyone letters ‘when I involve politicians Richie sunak example I emailed about banning snares politicians make me sick .
Fantastic letter Steve Downing straight to the point the grouse shooting industry and anyone who kills wildlife for their own financial gains are a backwards species DEFRA natural England and all these organisations just play at it lip service but keep letting persecution happen I’ve written to MPs and like I’ve said previous get the standard political correct letter not supporting they are all as bad as each other there is no one with back bone or commitment keep the rich boys happy.