RSPB risks widening rift with rural Britain, says BASC

[Conor O'Gorman]

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) says the RSPB risks driving a divide between the charity and rural Britain.

During its AGM today, the RSPB announced the results of its year-long review of its policy on gamebird shooting and said it is considering calling for a ban on driven grouse shooting and regulation of gamebird shooting.

It said it will demand a ban on driven grouse shooting if it sees ‘no progress’ at the end of a five-year review. It will also seek regulation of gamebird shooting within 18 months if there is not a reduction in the number of gamebirds released and ‘full compliance with the law”.

Ian Bell, chief executive of BASC, said: “The RSPB risks driving a divide between the charity and rural Britain.

“Its announcement today is based on a misunderstanding of shooting in the UK and the progress that has been made in self-regulation.”

BASC says the charity has largely ignored significant evidence which supports the benefits of shooting to the UK’s biodiversity, although BASC acknowledges the charity’s request today to work closer with the association and other rural organisations.

Mr Bell added: “BASC has always sought to co-operate with the RSPB for the benefit of conservation and we still firmly believe that dialogue and working together produce better results than conflict. But the RSPB must not ignore the significant biodiversity benefits that shooting achieves. 

“Shooting has evolved and made significant improvements that positively influence the UK’s wildlife and environment. It is important that the RSPB recognises the work that has taken place and the continued desire within the shooting community for further improvement.

“No-one in shooting wants to see environmentally-damaging practices. And the RSPB needs to acknowledge that, rather than damaging its relationship with a key conservation community.”

BASC press release: https://basc.org.uk/rspb-announcement-risks-widening-rift-with-rural-britain-says-basc/

RSPB gamebird shooting review:  https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/our-positions-and-casework/our-positions/gamebird-review/

 

Edited October 10, 2020 by Conor O'Gorman

[greylag]

The RSPB are being driven by certain members who want nothing less than the end of driven bird shooting in all its forms.The shooting organisations must unite and fight this attack which is the thin end of the wedge.

Time to remove the Royal patronage.

[Rob85]

Is the RSPB not overstepping their remit?? A bit like the RSPCA with their "enforcement officers".

They are a damn charity and need to stop swinging themselves about like they are a government body. Strip the royal patronage from them immediately I say

[greylag]

Being driven by the likes of the terrible three.I believe Packham is a vice president.

[mudpatten]

The already thin veil slips a little more.

The RSPB is now a Marxist organisation fighting an outdated class war. It has little or no interest in birds. It only cares about making even more money that it can spend on destroying the infrastructure of the countryside.

This will result in a further decline in bird numbers enabling them to go cap in hand to the government for ever more money and to tug even harder on the heartstrings of ignorant townies, imploring them to donate yet more cash.

They`ve been adopting this strategy for years with raptors and gullible bird lovers seem hellish slow in making the connection.

If you`re a bird, an RSPB reserve is now the worst possible place to try to live or breed.

 

[strimmer_13]

3 minutes ago, mudpatten said:

 

If you`re a bird, an RSPB reserve is now the worst possible place to try to live or breed.

 

My misses gran lives in Arne and the rspb runs all sides of it around her house. They are complete ******* from all accounts, and your right, there's **** all birds there apart from a few waders. Just hundreds of tourists, trampling every square inch. The amount of times ive had one of their guys try and stop me driving to her house, to be told - politely - to get out of my way, its now a game on the way there. Last time he literally jumped in front of the car. ****. 

[greylag]

Perfect example of the RSPB getting it all wrong and getting many hundreds of thousands of pounds of grants and Welsh government money take a look at the Lake Vyrnwy reserve.One failure after another.

[Westley]

I have had many dealings with the RSPB Investigations Department, I would not trust any one of them. They always ensure the Media are informed and invited to attend any Court appearances,  that they may be involved with.

[Rob85]

Why should they be allowed to go cap in hand to the government? They are a CHARITY! They should only be funded by their donations from Joe public.

I can't help but laugh every time I hear about declining raptor numbers, I have never seen more birds of prey than I have in the last few years around my area and I haven't once seen the RSPB about doing any schemes. An area I have permission to shoot on has 4 birds of prey that live/nest and hunt on the land....across the road is a national trust gardens for the paying public that is supposed to be all welcoming to wildlife, well these birds avoid it like the plague! Apart from a few squirrels and the odd passing bunny it is devoid of wildlife, the fields adjacent to it used to be teeming with bunnies when I was a child and now there is nothing. 

All these types of organisations are centred around getting money off the deluded town dwellers that think their subscriptions help wildlife. In reality their money goes to pay fat salaries to the charity bosses, goes into paying for TV adverts, paying high price solicitors to take on spurious court cases and burned on wining and dining and lobbying political figures to give large amounts of government money to an organisation that really doesn't do an awful lot to help wildlife.

 

[Conor O'Gorman]

BASC blog from Ian Danby, our head of biodiversity, here:

https://basc.org.uk/rspb-must-give-shooting-due-credit-if-dialogue-is-to-succeed/

More to follow from BASC next week.

[NatureBoy]

Income up while half of there staff (1000+) are still furloughed. And still they ask for more money, grants and HLF money.       NB

[clangerman]

2 hours ago, Rob85 said:

Why should they be allowed to go cap in hand to the government? They are a CHARITY! They should only be funded by their donations from Joe public.

All these types of organisations are centred around getting money off the deluded town dwellers that think their subscriptions help wildlife. 

 

now one of my old stomping grounds is a wildlife sanctuary took the grand child for a look previously teeming with wildlife badgers deer fox rabbits packed with pigeons now a desert for grey squirrels not even the rabbit sets i used to ferret were active wall to wall with townies foot paths worn down to bare mud place has been destroyed 

[The Heron]

The rspb are not shy in culling birds to promote their own conservation plans. 

[Scully]

4 hours ago, The Heron said:

The rspb are not shy in culling birds to promote their own conservation plans. 

Nor vermin. 

[grahamch]

The Packham wukfit is behind this. 

I find it deplorable that some of the sporting press gave him column inches to spread his warped message. 

Shame on them all. He needs putting in his place good and proper and seen for the warped idiot he is. 

 

 

 

[NatureBoy]

And still they using the Lammergeier to have a go at us! Posting in there social media that (they heard it 3rd hand) birders in Lincolnshire over heard someone say that they were going to shoot it! Really!? How lame is that! . . . . . .Gang of 3 n co seem none to impressed with there AGM report on there policy on DGS  and game bird release yesterday. With only 14% of members bothered about shooting what they expect. They also gona be hoping for  more government cash when EU money dries up.       NB

[Fellside]

As and when Charles succeeds there will be a planned scale down of royal patronages. I sincerely hope that the RSPB loose their ‘Royal’’ prefix. They are now more aligned with animal rights extremism - rather than good pragmatic conservation. 

[London Best]

1 hour ago, Fellside said:

As and when Charles succeeds there will be a planned scale down of royal patronages. I sincerely hope that the RSPB loose their ‘Royal’’ prefix. They are now more aligned with animal rights extremism - rather than good pragmatic conservation. 

Now wouldn’t that be nice. We can only hope that as a lifelong shooting man Charles does something along those lines.

[JohnfromUK]

This morning (Friday 30th October) about half of the 05:45 'Farming Today Programme' was seemingly given over to Mark Avery, who 'preached' largely uninterrupted about excessive game releasing, lead shot, dead birds feeding predators, non native species, the wonders performed by 'Wild Justice' etc.  There was only a very short time given to the 'other side' and I didn't catch who was speaking there.

I believe it may have been the final one of two or more programmes?  The only other bit I did catch earlier in the week the 'pro shooting' speaker was repeatedly interrupted by a very irritating presenter.  Just my view of what I heard.

 

[Yellow Bear]

1 hour ago, JohnfromUK said:

This morning (Friday 30th October) about half of the 05:45 'Farming Today Programme' was seemingly given over to Mark Avery, who 'preached' largely uninterrupted about excessive game releasing, lead shot, dead birds feeding predators, non native species, the wonders performed by 'Wild Justice' etc.  There was only a very short time given to the 'other side' and I didn't catch who was speaking there.

I believe it may have been the final one of two or more programmes?  The only other bit I did catch earlier in the week the 'pro shooting' speaker was repeatedly interrupted by a very irritating presenter.  Just my view of what I heard.

 

BBC at it's best as usual.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

1 hour ago, JohnfromUK said:

This morning (Friday 30th October) about half of the 05:45 'Farming Today Programme' was seemingly given over to Mark Avery, who 'preached' largely uninterrupted about excessive game releasing, lead shot, dead birds feeding predators, non native species, the wonders performed by 'Wild Justice' etc.  There was only a very short time given to the 'other side' and I didn't catch who was speaking there.

I believe it may have been the final one of two or more programmes?  The only other bit I did catch earlier in the week the 'pro shooting' speaker was repeatedly interrupted by a very irritating presenter.  Just my view of what I heard.

 

Are you surprised, I'm certainly not!

 

It is still a class action, we are perceived as spoilt upper class types who shoot!

[mick miller]

Well, all these complaints against the RSPB seem very clear, sadly they have a royal warrant and the ear of Joe public. Whining about them within the confines of this particular echo chamber is unlikely to bring the public scrutiny so desired, so I would suggest that in future you go to your local paper to lodge a complaint, rather than pigeon watch. 

[greylag]

The radio 4 farming today has been running all week with both sides of the argument being given a fair crack of the whip to be fair.Avery is very good at filling the airwaves with his chat,of facts half truths and just lies.He didn't do too well this morning on the Today programme with Tim Bonner from the Countryside Alliance.

 

 

[Fellside]

8 hours ago, mick miller said:

Well, all these complaints against the RSPB seem very clear, sadly they have a royal warrant and the ear of Joe public. Whining about them within the confines of this particular echo chamber is unlikely to bring the public scrutiny so desired, so I would suggest that in future you go to your local paper to lodge a complaint, rather than pigeon watch. 

I do agree that we should all individually do more - write to the press and media to bring the true and proper context re shooting and wildlife. I often write to the BBC, RSPB, MPs and various newspapers etc. usually in response to an attack or wrong assumption re game shooting.  With email these days it only takes a minute. If we all did this I am sure it would have an impact.