As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Tuesday 4 November 2014

RSPB has been grossly mis-represented says Society chief executive

Last modified: 02 November 2014

The RSPB has come under attack from a group calling itself 'You Forgot The Birds', in a thinly veiled attempt by some shooting interests to limit RSPB's work in the wider countryside and the charity’s campaigning against wildlife crime. Mike Clarke, the RSPB's Chief Executive responds.

The RSPB is proud of its conservation work and robust financial standards. It has been grossly mis-represented and refutes all that the group claims.

We believe it is no coincidence that the group’s campaign, in the media and on the web, comes at a time when the RSPB is calling for greater controls on the environmental impacts of some game shooting activities, amid growing public concern over the illegal killing of birds of prey. 

This includes hen harriers, which have been illegally persecuted to near extinction in England as a breeding species. Only last Thursday, the RSPB published its Birdcrime 2013 report which records the wholesale illegal shooting, destruction and poisoning of eagles, harriers and red kites.

This year, the Society had its 125th anniversary, and throughout our history we have been proud of our openness and relationship with members and the public. This new campaign group appears to be unaccountable, and has anonymous financial backers for its campaign which has enlisted the services of a multi-national PR consultancy.

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