A Freedom of Information demand I sent just recently to the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has actually revealed that the RSPB has actually left of the so-called Birds of Prey ‘Partnership’ after the Moorland Association participated in what I would call its all too familiar propaganda strategies.
You might remember this so-called ‘partnership’ in Yorkshire was developed a number of years earlier, with agents from the grouse-shooting market, the raptor preservation neighborhood, Natural England, Police, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and the Nidderdale AONB Authority.
I blogged about it here and forecasted its death as it was designed on the comparable (now dissolved) ‘bird of prey partnership’ in the Peak District National Park, which, unsurprisingly provided the individuals from the grouse-shooting market, was an abject failure (see here).
Here is some fascinating correspondence dated 5th May 2023 in between the RSPB and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, launched under the FoI demand, detailing why the RSPB has actually ignored this latest mess. Personal information have actually been edited:
The factors for the RSPB’s withdrawal actually shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody who’s been following these laborious so-called ‘partnerships’, which all stop working for the very same factor. The Moorland Association (the grouse moor owners’ lobby group in England) has form for making ‘modifications’ to main collaboration declarations which seems meant to misshape the reporting of on-going occurrences of raptor persecution (e.g. see here).
Interestingly, ‘someone’ clearly discovered my FoI demand and has actually attempted to move the blame far from the Moorland Association. There’s an article in today’s Yorkshire Post, plainly timed to be launched at the very same time my FoI reaction was due, most likely in an effort to affect the story as they understood I’d be blogging about the RSPB’s withdrawal.
The Yorkshire Post short article doesn’t discuss anything about the RSPB’s frustration with the Moorland Association’s shenanigans, however rather puts the blame strongly on Natural England! Here are some excerpts:
The authority’s natural surroundings champ Mark Corner informed members advance on dealing with the wildlife criminal activity was being overemphasized and the collaboration was “ineffective” and “poorly led” by Natural England.
Mr Corner said while there had actually been modest enhancement on fledging of birds, some 21 hen harriers had actually vanished from North Yorkshire in 2015.
He said: “We have actually had some dreadful cases of some chicks being squashed to death and birds being beheaded. We are tricking ourselves if we believe this is some development.
“I see an increase in public awareness and revulsion of the sickening stuff that’s happening inside the national park. I am personally ashamed of what is happening.”
These are strong and welcome words from the Park Authority, and although criticism of Natural England’s function is been worthy of (more on that quickly), it’s an embarassment that the Moorland Association’s shenanigans weren’t called out.
The Chief Executive of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, David Butterworth, has actually now released the following declaration:
I’ve got more to discuss the Yorkshire Dales Bird of Prey ‘Partnership’… more quickly.
