Blogs

Using the term ‘killing’ rather than ‘management’ would not be my choice when discussing the merits of removing one species to protect another. But I chose it here as it refers to the headings of two recent articles in the Guardian that demonstrate the value of control. Both epitomise the challenge that conservation has in addressing public values and attitudes towards the management of pests, invasive species and native predators.

GWCT Policy Officer Henrietta Appleton gives an update from the GWCT Policy Team.

The pressing need to respond to global climate change and biodiversity loss is undoubtedly driving a large part of our Scottish policy work this year, with government consultations, draft legislation, parliamentary evidence sessions and more coming our way.

Through its Curlew Trial Management Project the RSPB concluded that government-funded lethal predator management as part of a holistic ELMS package for breeding wading bird conservation is unlikely to lead to localised population recovery. The GWCT’s own research and practical experience contradict that conclusion, so it is helpful to look at why that is.

The extreme wildfire events around Europe and the latest State of the UK Climate report from the Met Office are a stark reminder of the effects of climate change. For many years the risk of wildfire in England was rare; now, due to climate change, it is increasing year by year. Wildfire has been considered a climate risk since 2012 and therefore addressed in the national adaptation programme.

As the BEESPOKE project draws to a close, there are a number of crucial messages to take away. Pollinators, like many living creatures, need food, shelter and somewhere to nest. The need for floral diversity to provide pollinators with food sources that suit them is a key point around which the BEESPOKE project was largely based.

Will ELMS plug the ‘funding’ gap that the withdrawal of BPS exposes the farming industry to? 

In early 2021 Dylan Roberts, our Head of Fisheries, wrote a blog on the reintroduction of beavers entitled “Environmental Engineer or a waterway menace?”.  With the launch of the Species Reintroduction Task Force and in particular calls for beavers to be released freely into the wild getting louder, we felt now was a good time to revisit this often-controversial subject. 

Hedgerows are an essential part of the English countryside. To help safeguard the hedgerows we currently have and promote their growth, Defra have launched a new consultation that focuses on establishing effective and proportionate regulations to protect them.