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Post by standing stone on Sept 7, 2016 8:03:25 GMT
Good news on Mark Avery's Ban Driven Grouse Shooting debate:
"The Petitions Committee has agreed to schedule a debate on this petition.
Before setting a date for the debate, the Committee would like the House of Commons to have the chance to hear evidence on this issue. This will help to inform MPs taking part in the House of Commons debate.
More details about this will be announced in due course. We will keep you informed about what is happening and how you can get involved."
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Post by beanstew on Sept 16, 2016 19:33:16 GMT
Music Venue TrustThey're organising a gig at The Roundhouse on the 18th October. Line-up TBA.
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Post by Zenrider on Sept 25, 2016 20:12:53 GMT
Sometimes it seems that it we have are hell bent on getting there, Zenrider. Sad news; could have been avoided... True, but one would hope humans would finally choose a better there, than a worse there. The Chernobyl disaster has pretty well proven humans are worst than a nuclear disaster on wildlife. Sadly, the spin masters try to spin it that nuclear disasters aren't that bad. As for hunting. Hunters like to believe they are good for conservation. However, as long as they hunt competitively, always looking for the biggest trophy, the most birds taken, etc... they will continue to fail in that role. Not to mention in that argument that they do anything good for conservation. As natural predators hunt the weakest and ailing animals and actually improve the prey animals genetics and remove diseased animals from the herd. So, in example, if they were truly being conservationists in their sport, they would be bragging about taking the smallest mature buck and not the largest. As for the bird hunters over there that are in denial that they could possibly be the reason for the birds decline, they need to be reminded of the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon in the USA. A bird once so common from midwest to east coast, that places like New York restaurants could net them from their roof tops, in quantities to satisfy their customers appetite for the birds. www.audubon.org/magazine/may-june-2014/why-passenger-pigeon-went-extinctPerhaps offer them some good clay pigeon competitions to keep them preoccupied. |
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Post by calndel on Sept 25, 2016 21:18:40 GMT
Sometimes it seems that it we have are hell bent on getting there, Zenrider. Sad news; could have been avoided... True, but one would hope humans would finally choose a better there, than a worse there. The Chernobyl disaster has pretty well proven humans are worst than a nuclear disaster on wildlife. Sadly, the spin masters try to spin it that nuclear disasters aren't that bad. Del was speaking to an engineer while we were in Cardiff who advises the welsh government and he didn't too worried about build a new nuclear power plant in an area which farms still can sell lambs due to hot spots from Chernobyl! |
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Post by standing stone on Sept 27, 2016 12:47:47 GMT
Good news on Mark Avery's Ban Driven Grouse Shooting debate: scheduled for Tuesday 18th October, 2.30pm. Hope is my watchword.... never give up....... we can and we will be better than we are today....  |
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Post by standing stone on Sept 27, 2016 18:12:52 GMT
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Post by Purpledawn on Sept 27, 2016 18:40:53 GMT
True, but one would hope humans would finally choose a better there, than a worse there. The Chernobyl disaster has pretty well proven humans are worst than a nuclear disaster on wildlife. Sadly, the spin masters try to spin it that nuclear disasters aren't that bad. Del was speaking to an engineer while we were in Cardiff who advises the welsh government and he didn't too worried about build a new nuclear power plant in an area which farms still can sell lambs due to hot spots from Chernobyl! Del's engineer friend is probably right. If my memory serves me correctly an Environmental Health inspector in the local authority where I used to work told me just before I left in June that there are indeed still hotspots caused by Chernobyl in Wales affecting the sale of lamb. |
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Post by calndel on Sept 28, 2016 9:43:37 GMT
PD it's only a few years ago restrictions on some areas in the borders of Scotland were lifted and there are still a number of well know hot spots across the UK
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Post by standing stone on Oct 18, 2016 9:13:48 GMT
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Post by standing stone on Oct 21, 2016 9:39:50 GMT
This is the Government's response to Chris Packham's petition to INTRODUCE A MORATORIUM ON THE HUNTING OF CRITICALLY DECLINING WADING BIRDS:
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/167410
"It is unlikely that hunting has had a significant impact on recent population trends for woodcock, snipe and golden plover; trends are likely to be influenced more by the quality and extent of habitat
All wild birds are protected in accordance with the provisions set out in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, however, some species of birds (as listed in Schedule 2 of the Act) may be killed or taken outside the close season. Woodcock, snipe and golden plover are amongst those species that may be taken. In England and Wales the dates for woodcock are 1 October to 31 January; common snipe 12 August to 31 January; golden plover 1 September to 31 January.
Shooting is a legitimate activity and in addition to providing jobs and investment in some of our most remote areas, it can offer important benefits for wildlife and habitat conservation. The Government’s manifesto commits to protect shooting for the benefits it brings to individuals, the environment and the rural economy.
Recent data shows that the woodcock has a breeding population or around 78,000 pairs; common snipe 76,000 and golden plover between 38,000 and 59,000. Overwintering populations increase their numbers to approximately 1.4 million (woodcock), 1 million (common snipe) and 400,000 (golden plover). The numbers in winter are greatly increased as a result of birds arriving from Scandinavia, the Baltic States and Russia and many of our breeding birds (and their offspring) leave the country in winter.
For all three species, the numbers of birds hunted is small compared with the population present in the country during the open season.
When combined with the fact that many of our breeding birds winter abroad, it is unlikely that hunting pressure in this country has played a significant role in the recent downwards trends in the size and range of GB breeding populations of either woodcock or snipe. There is little evidence that the golden plover is currently in decline in GB as a whole.
The reasons for any declines are complex and include habitat loss as a result of land drainage, the drying out of natural woodlands, declining woodland management, the maturation of new plantations, overgrazing by deer, recreational disturbance and reductions in prey availability. The woodcock is currently red-listed due to breeding range decline in the past 25 years.
Measures have been taken to improve habitats through Environmental Land Management schemes such as the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, where grassland breeding waders have been specifically targeted. The woodcock will have benefited from Woodland Grant Schemes, some of which specifically target management for declining woodland birds.
The Government is not persuaded that the current level of hunting has a significant detrimental impact on the numbers of woodcock, common snipe and golden plover. A number of English estates have already instigated their own voluntary bans on the shooting of woodcock. Any moratorium in the rest of the UK is a matter for the devolved administrations.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"
We evidiently need a proper debate; to get this, we need 100k signatures...... it isn't ok to shoot birds which come to these shores to overwinter or en route on their migrations. This is a big problem when birds we consider to be "ours" migrate via Malta and Cyprus; they get mist netted and killed - Chris goes to do what he can to stop this happening there. we need to make sure it doesn't happen here either...
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Post by standing stone on Nov 26, 2016 15:27:39 GMT
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Post by standing stone on Nov 26, 2016 15:30:11 GMT
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Post by calndel on Nov 27, 2016 13:57:58 GMT
we see how it pans out with no natural predators we would end up in the same situation as red deer which are culled some people are talking reintroducing the lynx or wolves but you can's make then eat the animal you want them too we do hope it all goes well |
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Post by sc on Nov 27, 2016 20:20:34 GMT
Wolves would be cool |
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Post by standing stone on Nov 28, 2016 10:54:13 GMT
AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! |
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