Category: News

“Moorland Scotland – we can all take pride in it”, apparently

“Moorland Scotland – we can all take pride in it“. This is the remarkable statement made by Lord Hopetoun in today’s Scotsman newspaper. 

You may remember we featured this laird’s letter-writing talents in September, after he had written to the Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson asking for ‘an expression of Government support’ for the grouse management industry (see here), but what looked to us like a back-door attempt to over-turn the new law on vicarious liability (see here). In today’s article, he stays on the same subject [the grouse shooting industry] but attempts to convince a wider audience – readers of The Scotsman – that the industry is “an outstanding Scottish success“.

He goes on: “The contribution grouse moors also make in terms of biodiversity should also not be underestimated“, and, “When it comes to talking about world-class Scotland, we hear plenty of our whisky, golf, fishing and natural produce. The moorland management industry – and what it delivers – means it too has earned the right to be labelled world class“.

This industry has certainly earned the right to be labelled, but the label we’d give it wouldn’t be ‘world class’, it would be ‘international disgrace’. Something ‘we can all take pride in’? How about something that most of us are deeply ashamed of?

Scotsman article here

New book published on carbofuran & wildlife poisoning

A definitive reference book was published last month that provides a comprehensive guide to the use of the pesticide Carbofuran and its role in wildlife poisoning.

Written by a series of international contributors, this book includes detailed studies of how Carbofuran is made and applied, its acute toxicity to wildlife, how much and how long it takes to poison an animal, analytical methods of detection and strategies being implemented to prevent its use. It also contains a series of global case studies from Africa, India, Europe, Latin America, Canada and the United States. One chapter is devoted to the [illegal] use of Carbofuran to poison raptors in Scotland: ‘The effect of carbofuran poisoning and other illegal persecution methods on raptor populations in Scotland‘ (Ruth Tingay); ‘A landowner’s perspective on wildlife poisoning in Scotland’ (Douglas McAdam); ‘Monitoring carbofuran abuse in Scotland’ (Michael Taylor).

CARBOFURAN AND WILDLIFE POISONING: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES AND FORENSIC APPROACHES. (2011). Editor: Ngaio Richards. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK.

ISBN 978-0-470-74523-6 (hardback)

From the publisher:

This cutting-edge title is one of the first devoted entirely to the issue of carbofuran and wildlife mortality. It features a compilation of international contributions from policy-makers, researchers, conservationists and forensic practitioners and provides a summary of the history and mode of action of carbofuran, and its current global use. It covers wildlife mortality stemming from legal and illegal uses to this point, outlines wildlife rehabilitation, forensic and conservation approaches, and discuss global trends in responding to the wildlife mortality.

The subject of carbofuran is very timely because of recent parallel discussions to withdraw and reinstate the insecticide in different parts of the world. Incidences of intentional and unintentional wildlife poisonings using carbofuran are undeniably on the rise, especially in Africa and India and gatherings of stakeholders are being organized and convened on a global basis. There is still a need to consolidate information on the different experiences and approaches taken by stakeholders. Carbofuran and Wildlife Poisoning is a comprehensive overview of global wildlife mortality, forensic developments and monitoring techniques and is a definitive reference on the subject.

It comprises of historical and current perspectives, contributions from key stakeholders in the issue of global wildlife poisonings with carbofuran, people on the ground who deal with the immediate and long-term ramifications to wildlife, those who have proposed or are working towards mitigative measures and solutions, those in contact with intentional or unintentional ‘offenders’, those who have adapted and developed forensic methodology and are gathering evidence.

Introduction and Table of Contents available here

Prolific egg thief jailed for fourth time

One of the UK’s most prolific wild bird egg thieves has today been sent back to jail for what is reportedly his fourth jail term for similar offences.

This time, Matthew Gonshaw (49) from London, was caught with almost 700 wild bird eggs and egg-collecting paraphenalia at his house, including eggs from Scottish golden eagles and ospreys, as well as peregrines and red kites.

At Thames Magistrates Court, Gonshaw admitted ten offences under the Wildlife & Countryside Act, including two counts of taking golden eagle eggs from sites on the Isle of Lewis in April 2010. He was sentenced to six months in prison.

Gonshaw will re-appear in court in February to find out if he will be subject to an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO), which would see him face a £20,000 fine and five years in jail if he commits more crimes.

Well done to the RSPB, Metropolitan Police and the CPS for a successful conviction.

BBC News article here

STV article here

Good photographs in Daily Mail article here

Scottish sea eagles reach plague proportions

Concern is growing across Scotland as it was revealed last night that the sea eagle population has now increased to 57 territorial pairs; this is up from 52 last year, prompting calls for a cull.

Albert Hogburn of the Modern Poisoners’ Society said: “It’s ridiculous. These things have been reintroduced without a thought for the safety of our children. They swarm around schools waiting for the lunch bell when there’s easy pickings to be had in the playground. Last week I saw 48 of them hiding behind the school gate. Something’s got to be done, they’ve reached plague proportions“.

Donald Spewing-Moore of the Royal Bird Protection Society said: “That man’s talking out of his arse“.

BBC news article here

Modern Poisoners’ Society website here

‘Bumper’ grouse season proves raptors aren’t having a ‘significant impact’

The 2011 grouse season closed on Saturday. According to an article in the Shooting Times, it’s been a “bumper season“, and, “many moor owners, keepers and shooters around the UK will be reflecting on one of their best years in decades” (see here for article).

In another review, this time just of the Scottish grouse season, Robert Rattray, head of CKD Galbraith’s Sporting Letting Department, comments on the performance of some well-known grouse moors (including Glenogil, Millden and Invercauld) and he writes: “The 2011 grouse season will be looked upon as one of the best in recent living memory, and in many instances a distinct improvement on the 2010 season, in itself regarded as one of the best seasons for a decade or more” (see here for his report).

All very interesting. So much for the supposed ‘significant impact’ of raptors on gamebirds, repeatedly trotted out by the gamekeeper and landowner associations in their quest to legalise persecution. If, as they claim, they are not already killing everything with a hooky beak that dares to even look at their grouse moor, then it seems to me that they’re managing to [legally] kill a record number of red grouse without having to go after the raptors. So what’s the problem?

Of course, there are some who’ll read this blog and will have a different perspective – that is, the 2011 grouse season was a ‘bumper’ one precisely because anything with a hooky beak in the vicinity of the grouse moors had already been killed off.

Environment Minister ‘answers’ question about the lost Langholm hen harriers

Following yesterday’s report that Elaine Murray MSP had asked the Scottish Executive for information about the young hen harriers from the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project (see here), Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson has provided a response:

S4W-04336 Elaine Murray: To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has regarding the number of hen harriers that have been satellite tagged as part of the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project and what is known about the whereabouts of those birds.

Stewart Stevenson: In 2010, three hen harriers were satellite tagged as part of the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project. All three have now stopped transmitting. One tag was recovered at Langholm, with no trace of the bird. The other two birds were tracked through southern Scotland, south west England and France and Spain. No tags or birds have been found.

In 2011, three birds were satellite tagged and all have now stopped transmitting. Transmissions were last received from south of Carlisle, in the Moorfoot Hills and France. No tags or birds have been found and there are no indications of the cause of the lost signals.

The life expectancy of the satellite tags used is between a few months to around three years. While live, the tags provide valuable information on hen harrier range and dispersal.

(Link to parliamentary questions and answers here)

It’s a shame the Environment Minister didn’t elaborate further, although he was probably just reciting the information he’d been given, possibly from government advisors at SNH or maybe from Natural England, who are responsible for the satellite tag data from Langholm. Could the lack of transparency be because two of the locations (in the Moorfoot Hills and in the Northern Pennines to the south east of Carlisle) from where the last known signals were transmitted, just happen to be grouse moors? And not just any old grouse moors. One grouse moor with a long history of alleged raptor persecution (dead raptors and poisoned bait found on different occasions but no convictions) and one grouse moor with a head keeper and under keeper convicted of raptor persecution (pole trapping and inproper storage and use of a pesticide). One of these estates has already been named on the Raptor Politics website (see here and here).

Is it just an unfortunate coincidence that the signals from these two young hen harriers failed after they were tracked to these two moors? It could well be. But it’s very hard to be optimistic when we hear that the hen harrier in England is just four precious nests away from extinction (see here).

Perhaps one of these days the Langholm Project officials will deem us all worthy of knowing all the facts about this publicly-funded project, which would allow us all to draw our own conclusions instead of being spoon-fed a clearly sterilised version of events.

Perhaps you don’t want to wait for something that might never happen though. In which case, you can email the Natural England spokesperson for the Langholm Project (press officer Emma Lusby) and ask her yourself: emma.lusby@naturalengland.org.uk

Norfolk estate gamekeeper guilty of animal cruelty

Here’s another example of the fine work of a ‘professional’ gamekeeper. This was published in the Norwich Advertiser yesterday:

A Norfolk gamekeeper was told today he could be sent to prison after admitting causing a fight between two dogs and a fox.

Christopher John Carter, 49, of The Burrows, in Gayton Thorpe, pleaded guilty at King’s Lynn Magistrates’ Court to causing the fight between the animals in July 2009.

Appearing alongside Carter was Luke James Byrne, 19, of Mill Houses, King’s Lynn, who admitted causing three animal fights on Westacre Estate.

The 19-year-old also admitted possessing three dead wild birds, a heron, cormorant and a buzzard, in King’s Lynn.

Jonathan Eales, prosecuting for the RSPCA, showed magistrates video footage, recorded by Byrne, of the fights which saw dogs attacking animals trapped in a snare. The first clip showed a fight between Byrne’s dog and rat which took place on June 20, 2009. The other videos showed Carter’s two dogs attacking a fox on July 2, 2009 and a fight between one of Carter’s dogs and a fox on June 15, 2010.

Mr Eales said: “In March this year, a woman purchased a mobile phone from Mr Byrne’s parents. The phone had been used by Mr Byrne and had a video clip on it of one of these fights. The woman was so shocked by what she saw that she reported it to the RSPCA which then investigated it. The investigating officer then took possession of Mr Byrne’s father’s laptop and two further video clips were found.”

During each of the videos, Byrne can be heard laughing as the fights took place and encouraging the dogs to attack. He can also be heard screaming “kill it” repeatedly and during the second video, Byrne says: “Well, that didn’t last very long”.

Mr Eales continued: “A number of pictures were also found on Mr Byrne’s father’s laptop of dead animals – three of which were dead wild birds. The conclusion was made that he must have been in possession of these birds to take pictures of them and he has pleaded guilty to these charges.”

Mr Eales told the court Carter is a gamekeeper and that Byrne had done work experience with him but added they had known each other for a long time.

He continued: “When these matters were discovered, both men were interviewed. At first, Mr Byrne denied having any involvement in or knowledge of these matters but after being shown the video clips, he made a no comment interview. Mr Carter didn’t make any admissions until the videos were shown to him but he did assist us in relation to the other two clips which he wasn’t involved in. Mr Carter gave no reason why he thought these things had happened. He said he had no excuse for it and said he knew what had happened was against the law. He also said he was ashamed of himself.”

Mr Eales asked magistrates to consider depriving the two men of ownership of the dogs and told the court these dogs would then be re-homed by the RSPCA. Carter’s two dogs are currently in the care of the RSPCA but Byrne’s dog remains at his home address.

Mr Eales also asked magistrates to consider whether or not to disqualify both men from owning animals for a short period or for life.

James MacWhirter, representing Byrne, asked magistrates to put off sentencing his client until a pre-sentence report had been carried out by the probation service. But Malcolm Savory, representing Carter, urged magistrates to deal with his client and told them he could produce plenty of character references for Carter.

He also appealed to the magistrates to take into account the fact the video footage relating to his client lasted 30 seconds but in the other cases the RSPCA bring to court, the suffering can go on for “minutes, days weeks, months or sometimes years”.

Lead magistrate Paul Kidd asked for all-option pre-sentence reports to be prepared for both men, including possible custodial sentences.

The two men will return to King’s Lynn Magistrates’ Court on January 11 to be sentenced.

Source article at Norwich Advertiser here

If anyone wants to find out whether Christopher John Carter is a member of the National Gamekeepers Organisation, send an email to: info@nationalgamekeepers.org.uk

Congratulations to the RSPCA and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Questions on the whereabouts of Langholm hen harriers asked in parliament

Elaine Murray MSP has put forward a question to the Scottish Executive concerning the whereabouts of the tagged hen harriers from the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project:

S4W-04336 Elaine Murray: To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has regarding the number of hen harriers that have been satellite tagged as part of the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project and what is known about the whereabouts of those birds.

The written answer is due to be provided on 16 December 2011, according to the Scottish Parliament website.

Some background to the mysterious disappearance of these birds can be found here

Hen harrier is four steps away from English extinction, says RSPB

The RSPB has today issued a press release that says the hen harrier is the bird most likely to become extinct in England because of human pressure.

A 2011 joint survey of the English uplands by the RSPB and Natural England found that only four nesting pairs of hen harrier successfully raised young; all on a single estate in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire.

This is believed to be the lowest population in England since they recolonised in the 1960s following extinction in the late Nineteenth Century. Historically, the hen harrier was widespread in England.

A government-backed report – the Hen Harrier Conservation Framework – proved that illegal persecution on driven-grouse moors is the main factor restricting the growth of the hen harrier population in the UK. The framework reported that England’s uplands could support at least 320 pairs of this bird of prey. (See here, here and here for our earlier posts about the Hen Harrier research).

To read the rest of the press release, click here

Mark Avery also has a commentary about this on his blog, here

Cumbrian man in red kite investigation guilty of firearm & pesticide offences

Further to the blog post last week (see here), Allan Armistead appeared at Furness & District magistrates court today, charged with a string of offences relating to illegal pesticide storage and firearms offences.

He pled guilty to the following charges:

Possession of a firearm (believed to be a rifle) without a certificate

Storing the pesticide Cymag

Storing the pesticide Sodium Cyanide

Storing Strychnine Hydrochloride

Storing Degesch Phostoxin

Storing Aluminium Phosphide

Storing Phosdrin + Phosdrin 24

Storing Lindex with HCH seed dressing

Possessing firearm ammunition

Failing to disclose possession of ownership of 3 x 12 bore side by side shotguns.

Armistead (74), of Hulleter Farm, Oxen Park, Ulverston, Cumbria, will appear at Lancaster Crown Court on 6 January 2012 for sentencing.

Three charges against Armistead were withdrawn, relating to the possession of shotguns without a certificate.

Armistead pled not guilty to three charges:

Storing pesticide Sodium Cyanide

Storing Strychnine Hydrochloride

Storing Lead Arsenate

Armistead will appear back at Furness & District Magistrates Court on 31 January 2012, where a date will be set for his case to be continued at Crown Court.

Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, no charges were brought for the killing of red kites. Armistead was released on unconditional bail until his next court appearance on 6 January 2012. Very well done, Cumbria Constabulary and the Crown Prosecution Service!

Story at North West Evening Mail here