Hen Harrier Joint Action Plan published

Hen Harrier www.davidmasonimages.com This morning the government published its Hen Harrier Joint Action Plan. The GWCT, which has been deeply involved in the reconciliation of wildlife conflict between hen harriers and red grouse for over 30 years, welcomes this significant milestone and we are looking forward to its implementation.

The six point plan, developed by Defra (in conjunction with the RSPB, GWCT, Moorland Association, National Gamekeepers’ Organisation and the National Parks) will be led by Natural England to:

1. Monitor hen harrier numbers in England and the UK via satellite tagging and tracking;
2. Share best practice with land managers and gamekeepers, encouraging the provision of food for birds of prey;
3. Work closely with the Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group (RPPDG) to analyse intelligence on persecution and deliver more effective enforcement and deterrence measures;
4. Monitor and protect nests and winter roosts from disturbance and destruction;
5. Work with landowners to reintroduce hen harriers to suitable areas in the South of England;
6. Scope out feasibility for trialling brood management

Obviously there is still some uncertainty about how this is all going to work in practice and that is understandable. Some may find it hard to support aspects of the plan. The GWCT has concerns about reintroduction, particularly with genetic integrity, if the birds come from France, and a possible failure to meet IUCN basic reintroduction parameters.

Others, for example, have concerns about the brood management trial and feel it should only be considered once hen harrier numbers have recovered, whereas GWCT sees it as ‘remedy’ that unlocks the impasse the conflict creates, in other words a precursor to allowing hen harrier numbers to recover.

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Comments

Hen Harrier Action Plan

at 14:03 on 25/01/2016 by Ian Whittaker

There are smear tactics from the extremes of both sides but that should not distract from the impact of persecution on hen harriers and other birds of prey. The plan should be implemented - there seems no other option as even on grouse moor havens for wildlife with fairly intensive legal predator control, hen harriers and other birds of prey seem to struggle. As the plan is lauded as the only way to bring back the hen harrier, we can look forward this year to a significant increase in the number of breeding attempts and successes as all parties have now signed up to that. There is no reason why virtually every grouse moor in the North of England shouldn't have nesting hen harriers within a few years. As for how many, that is clearly still up for debate but it seems to me that some compromise will need to be made on both sides. Not a free rein for either hen harriers or red grouse numbers. Perhaps there is an arbiter out there that can sort it out!

A plan for Harrier

at 14:57 on 14/01/2016 by Rob Yorke

Same comment to contestant no 2 http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/ourwork/b/martinharper/archive/2016/01/14/hh.aspx Take a beat, and seek skilled leader to broker this delicate matter forward - neither GWCT or RSPB or anyone else too close but an independent body who can move this forward by blending, tapping into: natural science, anecdotal evidence (comment above) and social science.... https://twitter.com/blackgull/status/665191819010056192 Good luck! Rob

Hen Harrier Habitat

at 11:22 on 14/01/2016 by G C Eyre

It is pleasing to see co-operation at last with land managers and I have shown habitat management is a crucial part of seeing Hen Harriers, my restoration work throughout the UK has encouraged Hen Harriers to breed (Garpel,Langholm,Howden and several others) and whilst I was managing the habitat on Howden moor I had four successful fledging 2003 2006 2008 2014, the two that I notified did not succeed fully,I feel due to "so much loving them to bits" approach by huge numbers of interested parties. I have, I feel learnt so much about what they like and prey is an essential part and this needs better understanding if we are to see any improvements in numbers ie restricting moorland burning will see less food prey and restoring species poor molinia /nardus /bracken could see 1000s of hectares of Hen Harrier territories, I restricted too much interference at one of my HH nest sites many years ago only to get a frozen peregrine dropped near to my HH site a few days later (with publicity it had been shot the day before on my managed grouse moor ?) this was soon after a newspaper had called me a miracle worker for HH, obviously as a smear tactic from those opposed to grouse shooting. I know I can add from experience given I have been one of the few that has seen HH breed only to see repercussions (even a HH smear day when we had 5 secret fledged HH a mile from the rallye !) , but there needs to be open minded people that appreciate HH should not be used as a tool to get at grouse shooting. In the Peak District there is limited habitat suitable plus huge visitor numbers ? the none shot PD moors now extend to 5 times the area I once managed, I have had four successful years,they have had none ! ,and I know why as its purely down to management of the habitat. Recent NE heather restrictions will now actually see less HH breeding sites as they need an abundance of pipits /skylarks which long heather will no longer support. ( I could go on ) I do realise paper talk is today above practical experience and if those with hands on knowledge are continually ignored the saga will continue, my gut reaction to the new proposals is those with and have had HH should be the main contributors around a table plus they should be protected from future persecution smear tactics by impartial crime officers.

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