We have all heard of the expression ‘to turn a blind
eye’, meaning to pretend that a particular act or occurrence has gone
unnoticed and unregistered, to ignore something or even to neglect it. I
am sure there have been times in most people’s lives where they have
‘turned a blind eye’ to something. Though (hopefully!) these incidents
have been rather minor ones, incidents like pretending you did not see
your little brother smash your mum’s vase, or ignoring the fact that
your dog just ate your favourite pair of shoes. They are incidents that
are minor irritations, but they are not ones that will not have a
greater impact on our lives and not generally things of huge importance.
They are not for example, ones that could impact the natural world, the
ecosystem, or to be more specific, the protection of our birds of prey.
raptorpolitics.org.uk
Raptors. Possibly the longest suffering of our surviving wildlife in
the UK and when it comes to persecution of these species, you could say
the UK has become something of an expert at turning a blind eye. Our
shores are home to so many examples of raptor persecution that we would
be spoilt for choice for incidents to discuss. In this case however, we
are talking of a very particular incident. One that screams the serious
neglect of our raptors. So, where in the UK are we? Lancashire. The home
of the Red Rose, Victoria Wood, Ian McKellen and, of course, The Forest
of Bowland. An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, covered in vast and
diverse habitats including fells, valleys and peat moorland, a Special
Protection Area (SPA) for birds of prey, and a haven for some of our
most spectacular raptor species, including the Hen Harrier and the
Peregrine Falcon! Or at least, it should. Over recent years however, a
black cloud has descended over The Forest of Bowland. A black cloud that
has brought with it the wide-scale, relentless persecution of birds of
prey. The situation has now become so serious in Bowland that the region
is what some people (the term originating with gamekeepers) call a
‘Raptor Free Zone’. The fact that such a ‘zone’ should exist in an area
where these beautiful birds are native is not only a tragedy, but a
total and utter embarrassment to our nation.
raptorpolitics.org.uk
The Peregrine Falcon, is a spectacularly agile, wickedly fast and
beautiful bird of prey, who can usually be found in areas of upland
moorland during the breeding season. Nowadays however, there are more
breeding pairs existing in London than across all the moorland in
northern England. Moorland where red grouse shooting serves as the main
upland land use. Seven years ago the story was very different, Peregrine
Falcons were thriving throughout Bowland and there were at least 18
occupied Peregrine territories, with approximately 11 successful nesting
pairs in most seasons. However, something changed in 2010, as the
number of breeding Peregrine pairs in Bowland began to decline
dramatically and many territories were left abandoned. Coincidentally
(hmmm), 2010 was also the year when Natural England instructed the
British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) to revoke Schedule 1 disturbance
licenses held by members of the The North West Raptor Group, who have
monitored and protected raptors in the Forest of Bowland since 1974.
Why? It was claimed that there was a concern that these raptor
protection specialists would ‘disturb’ the birds and duplicate nest
visits, threatening their chances of breeding successfully. However,
somewhat bizarrely, they continued to grant the group raptor licenses
for use outside of Bowland, including licenses to monitor Golden Eagles
in Western Scotland. With no seemingly legitimate reasons provided for
this removal of licenses, such a decision could be seen as something
highly suspicious. Perhaps they did not want this monitoring to
continue? Perhaps they have something to hide? Or even somebody’s
interests to protect? Certainly not the interests of our raptors it
would seem, especially when we remember that it was also Natural England
who last year granted licenses to gamekeepers allowing them to shoot
Buzzards, so that pheasant stocks could be protected, with little (if
any) justification for such a decision. Since Natural England took the
decision to revoke disturbance licenses held by members of the NWRPG, 16
breeding Peregrine nesting territories now lie abandoned in Bowland. In
addition, 7 pairs of breeding Hen Harrier, the symbol of The Forest of
Bowland and a species on the brink of extinction in England, have also
been lost from the area. But perhaps those of us who question these
decisions and their outcomes are just being too cynical? Jumping to
irrational conclusions even? Unfortunately however, for those of us
involved in raptor protection, cynicism has become somewhat ingrained
within us, not because we wish it, but purely because we have been given
too many reasons to think in such a way.
raptorpolitics.org.uk
It’s curious. Very curious. So what is going on? How could 99% of
Peregrine Falcon territories possibly have been found abandoned
throughout the Forest of Bowland since 2010? Flooding? Disease? A plague
of locusts? I think we have all guessed what could have caused such a
devastating collapse of a local population. Persecution. Why? The same
old reason: to boost Red Grouse stocks (because they are suffering
terribly). In Bowland, it seems as if there is a constant and
unrelenting witch hunt being carried out against birds of prey, the
Peregrine and Hen Harrier in particular, as well as against those
individuals who have dedicated their lives to protecting these birds.
Nesting sites have been destroyed, eggs have been taken, chicks have
disappeared, and 16 adult pairs of Peregrine Falcon have been lost from
these now abandoned territories. But these losses are no secret, nor a
revelation. This is no MI5 operation that must be kept from everyone
except the powers that be, for ‘the greater good’. This is known about
by many, but so far, the pleas and protection efforts exhibited by those
members of the North West Raptor Protection Group have fallen on deaf
ears. Or perhaps just unwilling and uninterested ears.
Sadly, the situation is not improving, if anything, it continues to
deteriorate. An example of this took place not so long ago when a water
metering system was installed in a stream bed on moorland owned by
United Utilities. Although this in itself may not sound like an issue,
it was not the installation of the system that caused the problem, but
rather the location of the system. Where was this? Shockingly, right
next to an area which has been identified and used as a Peregrine
nesting site for many years. Unfortunately, this was no isolated
incident as 100 metres directly opposite from the same peregrine nesting
ledge, a gamekeeper had installed a crow trap overlooking the nest
site. Strange, is it not, that highly trained and experienced members of
a raptor study group would be denied licenses to protect these birds in
case they should ‘disturb them’, yet a water metering system (which
would regularly be checked) and a gamekeeper’s crow trap (also regularly
checked) should be conveniently installed right across from a historic
peregrine nesting site! Surely, anyone possessing even the slightest
ounce of common sense would see that this would cause great disturbance
if Peregrines returned to breed at this site in the future! But it does
not stop there. In many areas, almost right on top of other Peregrine
sites throughout Bowland, vermin traps (designed to catch weasels,
stoats and a variety of corvids) have been installed alongside or close
to abandoned nesting sites, which again, must be checked on a regular
basis by the gamekeeper. Can this really just be passed off as innocent
or unaware disturbance to sites, or is this blatant and unabashed
intrusion to prevent breeding taking place? So how can this be allowed?
Naivety? Sheer incompetence? Or worse? Are these planned strategies to
prevent any prospecting Peregrine from settling down to breed? With a
fresh dose of that cynicism, I am going to fall (rather dramatically) in
the direction of the latter.
raptorpolitics.org.uk
To document every single outrageous and fundamentally unfair event
that has occurred within the Forest of Bowland over recent years would
be a bit like me trying to document every single significant act of the
World Wars in one (reasonably sized) article. It would be impossible.
Unfortunately for our raptors, this is their own version of War. War
against the Red Grouse shooting industry and those who are willing to
stop at nothing (even the law) to boost their grouse populations and
consequently their profits. Sadly, the Red Grouse industry will always
have one thing behind it that gives it the upper hand, no matter how
immoral. Money. Money makes the world go round it would seem, even when
it comes at the cost of losing some of our most precious and threatened
raptor species. And what of Natural England’s position in this rather
dirty game of politics? It seems that by denying licenses preventing a
dedicated raptor group from protecting threatened birds in the Forest of
Bowland, they are providing support to estates owners and their
gamekeepers. Such a decision, which has possibly been approved at the
highest level, indicates that they are almost allowing raptors to be
destroyed with impunity in Bowland. They are, quite simply, turning a
blind eye.
Raptors have been shot, trapped, disappeared and driven from the
Forest of Bowland and this trend is forever continuing and increasing.
The situation in Bowland is nothing short of dire, with raptors and
those who work for them constantly fighting what currently seems like a
losing battle. In 2017 it would still seem that the care we have for our
environment and our wildlife and ecosystems has not come far at all,
with those who commit crimes against our natural world escaping
unscathed and with nothing but a slap on the wrist (if that). If
something does not change and change soon, these beautiful birds that we
have the privilege to see in our country will disappear into
nothingness. Disappear into a silent, desolate moorland, where no life
but that of the Red Grouse will continue to flourish.
It’s dire, it’s depressing, but it is fact. However, we remain
defiant and determined, and although the persecutors of our birds of
prey may be winning this battle, we refuse to let them win this war.
For more information on what is happening in Bowland follow the link below:
Forest of Bowland Raptors Being Undermined by Complacency and Bad Politics
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