A long-awaited government plan to save England's most threatened bird of prey, the hen harrier, has been agreed after more than four years of negotiations between landowners, shooters, gamekeepers and conservationists.
The hen harrier is on the brink of extinction in England due to illegal persecution by gamekeepers protecting grouse-shooting interests. In 2015, there were only six nests in England, compared to around 600 breeding pairs in Scotland and 50 in Wales.
The action plan includes six initiatives: satellite and CCTV monitoring, nest protection, reintroduction to suitable lowland areas, encouraging birds not to feed on game birds, and involvement of police wildlife crime units and volunteers. A trial of 'brood management'—moving eggs or broods to rearing pens when numbers exceed an agreed density—is the most contentious measure, but no lethal control is involved.
The plan is expected to cost over £1.5 million over five years. Environment minister Rory Stewart said: 'This new plan will transform the fate of one of our most magnificent birds.' RSPB director Martin Harper called it 'real potential for progress,' while the Countryside Alliance's Tim Bonner said it 'removes real concerns about the impact of hen harriers on grouse moors.'
