The RSPB stands accused of
hypocrisy over its opposition to the granting of a licence by Natural England
to control buzzards that threaten pheasant poults on a commercial shoot.
The accusation, in a blog written
by the gamekeepers’ political advisor, Charles Nodder, is that the RSPB is
itself happy to use lethal control in the name of conservation of certain
species and it is hypercritical of the organisation and its conservation director,
Martin Harper, to complain when someone uses the same rules to protect their
own interests.
In his blog on the RSPB website,
Mr Harper wrote: “The thorny issue of licenses for buzzard control reappeared
when Natural England issued a licence permitting the control of up to 10
buzzards to “prevent serious damage to young pheasants”.
He goes on: “The killing of a
recovering British bird of prey to protect an introduced gamebird for the
benefit of commercial interest is wrong. The decision sets a worrying
precedent. What will be next? Red kites, peregrines, hen harriers?”
But Mr Nodder, political adviser
for the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, says buzzards are thriving and
asks, if it is okay for the RSPB to be granted licences to kill even rarer birds
in the name of conservation, why it is wrong for shooting estates to also apply
for licences to control buzzards?
He writes: “I was particularly
interested in Martin’s reaction, because there is no risk to buzzard
conservation arising from Natural England’s (NE) decision whatsoever.
In law, NE cannot issue a licence
if, as a result of its being carried out, the conservation status of the
licensed bird would be adversely effected.
It normally resides in the swamps
of Southern Europe and Africa but has decided the lagoons of Minsmere in
Suffolk are more to its liking. A 'wild' Purple Swamp Hen has never been seen
in the British Isles before but it's showing itself several times a day at the
RSPB reserve.