Raptor
Persecution Awareness Open-Day
The Devonshire
Institute –Town Hall, Grassington Village, Yorkshire Dales
11 August 2018
CONFIRMATION
OF SPEAKERS
The Northern
England Raptor Forum is hosting this event to help raise public awareness
of the levels of illegal persecution faced by raptors in northern England and
the threats posed to our wildlife heritage.
Admission
is free and open to all. Why not
come along and show your support with the added bonus of being able to enjoy a
day in the Yorkshire Dales?
Venue:- Grassington Devonshire Institute, Grassington
Village, North Yorks, BD23 5 AZ
Date
& time:- Saturday 11th August 2018, 1000 - 1400 hrs
Access:- The
Institute can be found at the top of Main Street in Grassington. There is a medium sized carpark 50 metres
distant with wheelchair access to the building from the Moor Lane entrance.
However the recommended main carpark is at the Yorkshire Dales National
Park site just off the B6265, Hebden Road in the lower part of the village
(5-10 mins walk).
The indoor meeting room
will hold display stands with representatives on hand to answer questions and there
will be a rolling series of short presentations (10-15 minutes) from expert
speakers. The aim is to raise awareness
of how the continued illegal persecution of raptors in the uplands of northern
England is significantly suppressing the number of breeding birds and their productivity
and impacts on the opportunities for us all to experience these wonderful birds
in their natural habitat. Speakers will highlight the current evidence of
persecution and draw attention to initiatives in place, or still needed, to
combat the problem.
The
event is open to all on a ‘drop-by-any-time-and-stay-as-long-as-you-wish’
basis.
SPEAKERS
*Steve Downing Northern
England Raptor Forum, Chairman
*Ian Court Wildlife
Conservation Officer, Yorkshire Dales NPA
*Sgt Stuart Grainger North Yorkshire Police (“Operation
Owl”)
*James Bray RSPB,
Bowland Project Officer
*Ch. Insp Louise Hubble National Wildlife Crime Unit
*Guy Shorrock RSPB, Senior Investigations Officer
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This
is not a day of ‘protest’ needing placards or banners. It is a day where the focus will be on the
presentation of evidence-based data from long-term, detailed studies which will
demonstrate the threats faced by birds of prey in the region’s uplands and the
actions now required.
About The Northern
England Raptor Forum
The
Northern England Raptor Forum [NERF] represents volunteer Raptor Study Groups committed
to the long-term monitoring of the populations of key raptor species across the
region. Our study areas cover the
Pennine Chain from Northumberland to the South Peak district and extend to
Cheshire, Manchester, the Forest of Bowland and the North York Moors. Species
studied include Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier, Goshawk, Red Kite, Peregrine,
Merlin, Short-eared Owl and Raven in addition to sample populations of commoner
species.
Extensive annual monitoring of bird of
prey species by NERF members has served to highlight the sad plight of some
iconic raptors in the uplands of northern England. Species such as Hen Harrier, Red Kite,
Goshawk, Peregrine, Short-eared Owl and Raven are substantially
under-represented in eminently suitable breeding habitat across the region,
even within our designated Special Protection Areas [SPAs], National Parks and
AONBs. Whilst there are a number of
causes for this it is widely accepted that illegal persecution, especially on
land managed for driven grouse shooting, is a significant factor. North Yorkshire has the unfortunate
reputation of topping the RSPB’s Birdcrime tables, followed closely by the Peak
District but the problem really extends throughout the region. The number of confirmed persecution reports undoubtedly
only represents the ‘tip of an iceberg’,
with the majority of crimes going unreported
The
information collected by members provides the most comprehensive data-set available
based wholly on the evidence of extensive fieldwork and is published in the
NERF Annual Review. The data on breeding
outcomes is used to inform species’ conservation and protection measures
through its provision to the BTO, the national Rare Breeding Birds Panel,
Natural England and the RSPB.
NERF
is a member of the Police / Defra led Partnership for Action Against Wildlife
Crime [PAW] under the Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group [RPPDG] and is
a past recipient of the prestigious PAW ‘Partner of the Year’ award. NERF acts as a specialist consultant for the
RSPB’s Hen Harrier, (EU) LIFE+ Project.
NERF
has also co-authored several published scientific papers relating to birds of
prey including the results of the BTO’s 2014 National Peregrine Survey and the
RSPB’s 2016 National Hen Harrier Survey.
See our website for more information raptorforum.co.uk
_ _
_ _ _ _
NERF
believes that:-
# People must speak out clearly against
raptor persecution
# RPPDG members must demonstrate how their
organisation is delivering the aims of the Group or consider their position on
the Group
# More police resources are needed to
fulfil the investigative and prosecution expectations of the public and the RPPDG
[an essential part of Defra’s Hen Harrier Emergency Recovery Plan]
# Defra and Natural England should
abandon any plans for Hen Harrier brood management
# Defra and Natural England should
instead focus on restoring species’ populations within formally designated
Special Protection Areas to at least those originally cited
# Responsible shooting estates should
have nothing to fear from the idea of introducing a licensing system for driven
grouse shoots, a policy supported by NERF