The hen harrier is at the centre of a bitter conflict. The birds love grouse moors, where their habit of nesting in loose colonies allows numbers to build up to levels that result in the loss of grouse chicks being so great that the moor can become unviable. This, in turn, results in the collapse of grouse shooting, the disappearance of gamekeepers and the end of the control of foxes and stoats. These then kill the chicks of the ground-nesting hen harriers, the population of which consequently dwindles and may even eventually disappear. Thus, in the worst case, everybody loses. No grouse, no employment, the slow death of one of the world’s rarest ecosystems and, ironically, potentially no hen harriers.
An enormous amount of thought and effort has gone into trying to find how this mutually catastrophic outcome can be avoided. Millions of pounds have been spent on research to find a solution that ensures healthy and sustainable hen harrier populations whilst, at the same time, keeping the manifest economic and biodiversity benefits provided by properly conducted grouse shooting. After more than a decade of discussion and debate, a plan was agreed with Government, which was designed to find a way to get more hen harriers in England: the imaginatively titled Hen Harrier Recovery Plan (HHRP).
The HHRP included two elements that have continued to cause controversy: brood management; and the southern reintroduction. The reason they are controversial is simply that the RSPB and its fellow travelers do not like them. The antipathy towards brood management is so great that it has resulted in a judicial review and the southern reintroduction was condemned at a meeting in Parliament by the RSPB’s head of global conservation as in clear breach of the guidelines for reintroductions set down by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
This story is from the March 2020 edition of The Field.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2020 edition of The Field.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The apple of your eye
With scores to choose from in the UK, there is a delicious apple variety for everyone - and now is the ideal time to start thinking about planting one
Art in the field
Being able to study her subjects as she races alongside them has informed Belinda Sillars work, as she explains to Janet Menzies
A silvered sword from the Saxon armoury
With weaponry from the electoral court, the more silver on show, the higher the rank of the owner
Nicole Moore
The Shooting Girl With An Afro blogger explains her passion for fieldsports and outlines the importance of sharing skills and knowledge with newcomers
'Probably the greatest detective in the world'
For 100 years, on page and screen, Hercule Poirot has captivated audiences around the globe with his supreme intellect and peculiar eccentricities
View from a Bridgerton
They were the 18th-century version of a drinks trolley and now hunt tables are popular once again, partly due to Regency-period television dramas
A brush with history
Britain is world renowned for its contribution to hair care and grooming, and, as its oldest firms will testify, heirlooms come in many forms
Practically perfect
From modest origins, the gilet has evolved into a sporting wardrobe staple, combining function and fashion to become a status symbol in its own right
Best laid plans
The ancient craft of hedgelaying is playing a central role in efforts to restore the balance of nature on our farms
Under the spell of spaniels
Our favourite working breed comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, all of which have successfully carved out their own special niche in British sport