Here’s some more comedy gold from the Countryside Alliance (Leery lunatics on acid, for you anagram fans). The following letter was published in a recent (January) edition of Countryfile mag:
Hen harrier ups and downs
The article about raptors in November’s issue repeated the often made, but incorrect, claim that the poor breeding numbers of hen harriers in England are caused by activities of shooting estates. In reality, the hen harrier had disappeared from mainland Britain by the end of the 19th century, due to loss of habitat and persecution. Birds started to increase after the Second World War until the 1990s when the species again went into decline. Numbers are creeping up again and there has been a 300% year-on-year increase in nesting attempts for 2015 – many of which took place on grouse moors. While there are conflicts between hen harriers and shooting interests, it is simplistic and unhelpful to attribute their decline solely to gamekeepers. Hen harrier numbers are equally poor in areas where shooting does not take place but which are suitable for their breeding. Charlotte Cooper, Head of Media Relations, Countryside Alliance.
It’s not the first time the Countryside Alliance has been in full-blown denial about the extent of hen harrier persecution on driven grouse moors (e.g. see here), and undoubtedly it won’t be the last.
The real reality (not the CA’s version of it) looks like this, this, this, this, this, this etc etc. The persistent denial of what everyone else knows to be true (including the Westminster & Scottish governments), is yet another reason why DEFRA’s Hen Harrier Action Plan is set to fail. There are many other reasons too, and some of them have been described here.
The e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting closes this Thursday. So far, over 30,000 UK citizens have signed it. It’s a much more effective Action Plan than anything DEFRA and it’s grouse-shooting-hen-harrier-killing-mates have come up with. Please sign HERE
Raptor Persecution UK 
Well, of course they’re doing really well – fewer of the buggers about to eat into shooting estate profits, dontcha know. Just looking forward to when the CLA repeats are on Comedy Central.
Essential watching Monbiot’s U Tube of a presentation he gave to conservationists on Exmoor recently.Brilliant brilliant stuff, he’s right up there with Raptor Persecution Scotland.
I thought the persecution in the 19th century was from gamekeepers and shooting estates. The recovery was because gamekeepers were fighting the Germans and the shooting estates went into decline. Pretty clear to me when shooting estates are in decline harriers recover, when shooting estates are resurgent Harrier numbers decline. Still what do I know.
I would pick on the “300% year-on-year increase in nesting attempts for 2015”. This may well be true. But avoids the killing of male and young Hen Harriers to ensure the nesting attempts FAIL.
This might be of interest:
https://dearkitty1.wordpress.com/2016/01/16/grouse-killing-worsens-british-flooding/
Thanks guys for all your mentions of the e-petition – now passed 31,000 signatures. Much appreciated.
It won’t be tomorrow, or the next day, but ‘We will win!’