15/03/2019
A
judicial review into Natural England's controversial 'brood management' plan,
which involves issuing licences for Hen Harriers to be taken from their broods,
raised in captivity and then released back into the wild at specific locations,
has failed.
The review,
which was brought about by leading conservationist and Birdwatch columnist
Dr Mark Avery, along with the RSPB, took place on 15 March, with Mrs Justice
Laing ruling Natural England's plans to be lawful on the grounds that the
licenses were being issues for research purposes, and not yet for conservation
purposes, thus they could go ahead.
Brood
management involves removing Hen Harrier broods from driven grouse moors once
breeding numbers have reached a certain level, due to concerns that they have a
significant impact on the number of Red
Grouse available for shooting. However, the RSPB believes the first
step in Hen Harrier recovery should be the cessation of illegal persecution,
which is widely acknowledged as the main reason driving the decline of the
iconic bird of prey.
Dr Avery
commented on his blog: "It's disappointing to lose but I'd like to thank
all my supporters and my legal team for mounting this challenge and the RSPB
for taking their challenge alongside mine. It needed to be done, it certainly
wasn't frivolous (otherwise we would not have been given permission to proceed
with the judicial review) and it may not be over yet."
Martin
Harper of the RSPB added: "This is obviously a huge blow but we will
continue to fight for the future of Hen Harriers. The plight of this threatened
species is a stark reminder of so much that is wrong with the way we manage our
uplands. It is only through standing up for what is right that we can help
recover the wildlife that we all cherish."
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