GWCT News Blog

In written evidence to a 2016 Parliamentary Committee, the RSPB stated that moorland drains were “cut in the 60s and 70s to improve grazing” for sheep. It is bizarre that they should now suggest that gamekeepers dug these drains for their grouse (RSPB accuses gamekeepers of deliberately drying land, July 5). 

Our response to a recent piece in The Sunday Times concerning the Saddleworth Moor fire, in which RSPB Senior Uplands Policy Officer, Pat Thompson is quoted.

We respond to George Monbiot's accusation in The Guardian that grouse shooting is responsible for the Saddleworth Moor fire.

GWCT Chairman Ian Coghill discusses the RSPB's opposition to plans aimed at increasing Hen Harrier numbers in the English uplands.

We respond to a recent piece in the Yorkshire Post on Bradford Council’s decision to end grouse shooting on Ilkley Moor.

We respond to a recent piece written by George Monbiot for The Guardian about Britain's national parks.

Proposals for shooting over Natural Resources Wales (NRW) land have now been published. The GWCT believes their conclusions are well considered and should be adopted

The GWCT suggested that a technique like this might unlock the conflict between hen harriers and driven grouse shooting nearly twenty years ago – we still believe it could. On the other hand the RSPB feel it is ‘ridiculous’ – but the Government has rejected this view and they are going to test it here. It is easy to see why

When Defra released their plan to recover hen harriers in 2016, it had two success criteria: more hen harriers in England and that “the harrier population coexists with local business interests and its presence contributes to a thriving rural economy”.

Another fall in the number of reported incidents of wildlife crime is welcomed by the GWCT. All those involved in reducing wildlife crime should be congratulated on achieving this downward trend.