Report raises questions about RSPB strategy

BRITAIN’S moors, especially those in the north of England, have long been a battleground between the RSPB and the shooting fraternity, but a new report, RSPB Uncovered: The Missing ‘Birdcrime’ Files, paints a damning picture of the conservation charity, accusing it of abandoning ‘its mission to protect birds’ in favour of activities such as ‘smear campaigns against anyone who threatens its status as the kingpin of conservation charities’.

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Additional accusations against the RSPB, whose revenue in 2023/24 was $170 million, include ‘smearing the reputation of moorland managers’ and ‘framing’ gamekeepers for wildlife crimes, inaccurately recording bird crimes and misleading the public.

Commissioned by the Campaign 4 the Protection of Moorland Communities (C4PMC), it was researched and compiled by A. B. O'Rourke, a former deputy editor of the South China Morning Post and news editor of Fieldsports Channel.