Controversial government plans to remove chicks from the nests of one of England’s rarest birds and rear them in captivity have been criticised as “nonsense” by conservationists.
Hen harrier chicks or eggs will be removed from nests in northern England and hand-reared in captivity before being reintroduced into the wild, under the terms of a two-year licence issued by Natural England, the government’s conservation watchdog.
The “brood management” scheme is designed to boost hen harrier numbers but also placate grouse moor owners who object to the number of red grouse killed by breeding hen harriers. Supporters hope it will halt the illegal persecution of hen harriers by giving landowners comfort that breeding populations of hen harriers will not be permitted to expand on their moors.
But the RSPB said hen harriers were on the brink of extinction as a breeding bird in England because of illegal persecution, and called on the environment secretary, Michael Gove, to rescind the “ridiculous” licence.
An RSPB spokesperson said: “The idea that brood management is about helping hen harriers is nonsense. It is about facilitating unsustainable intensive land management which is destroying our uplands. To be clear, the RSPB is implacably opposed to this and as a landowner ourselves, we will never allow it on our land.”
Just three hen harrier nests produced chicks in 2017 in England, despite ecologists calculating that moorland habitat would naturally support at least 300 pairs.
Brood management is part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ hen harrier recovery plan, which aims to reduce hen harrier predation of grouse chicks on driven grouse moors, leading to an improvement in hen harrier numbers.
Andrew Sells, chairman of Natural England said: “It is a complicated and emotive picture and we have considered this application very carefully. Licensing this trial will allow important evidence to be gathered which, I sincerely hope, will lead to a self-sustaining and well-dispersed breeding population of these beautiful birds across England.”
Amanda Anderson, director of the Moorland Association, said she was delighted by the “ground-breaking research licence”.
“Moorland managed for red grouse contributes significantly to remote rural communities, businesses and treasured landscapes. This new wildlife management licence will give land mangers confidence that impacts of hen harriers breeding on their land can be minimised, creating a win-win scenario.”
The wildlife campaigner Mark Avery also condemned the plan, saying: “Defra are soft on wildlife crime and soft on the causes of wildlife crime. They are completely in bed with the grouse shooting industry and Natural England’s job is to plump up the pillows, smooth the sheets and supply hot water bottles.”
