Farming News - RSPB hits out at misrepresentation by 'thinly veiled' shooting front group

RSPB hits out at misrepresentation by 'thinly veiled' shooting front group

 

The RSPB has claimed that it has been "Grossly misrepresented" by a campaign group which the conservation charity – the largest such organisation in the UK – claims is a front for "individuals with shooting interests."

 

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Last month, You Forgot the Birds (YFTB), whose spokespeople include former England cricketer Sir Ian Botham, claimed the RSPB was "hoovering up" funds and misspending them. YFTB claimed that the RSPB's members (of which there are over 1 million) had been misled by the charity's promise to spend 90p in every pound on conservation work.

 

RSPB representatives rejected YFTB's apparent suggestion that only money spent on its reserves counts as conservation as "ridiculous," adding that it includes money spent on research, farmland management work and climate change issues under the conservation umbrella.  

 

On Sunday, RSPB Chief Executive Mike Clarke responded, "We have a long track record in protecting birds and wildlife. Conservation involves not just protecting nature reserves, but developing science and field testing, working with farmers and landowners to share best practice, challenging those who break the law, and fighting to protect the laws that protect our birds."

 

Mr Clarke continued, "We believe it is no coincidence that the group’s campaign, in the media and on the web, comes at a time when the RSPB is calling for greater controls on the environmental impacts of some game shooting activities, amid growing public concern over the illegal killing of birds of prey."    

 

The RSPB chief executive pointed out that the charity's Birdcrime 2013 report, which was released last week, gave examples of the "wholesale illegal shooting, destruction and poisoning of eagles, harriers and red kites."

 

He continued, "This year, the Society had its 125th anniversary, and throughout our history we have been proud of our openness and relationship with members and the public. This new campaign group appears to be unaccountable, and has anonymous financial backers for its campaign which has enlisted the services of a multi-national PR consultancy."

 

Government bird population figures, released last month, revealed that a number of bird species continue to dwindle in numbers. Water bird, seabird and farmland bird populations all declined. The indicator for farmland bird populations hit its lowest level ever recorded, and even this disguised massive variations between generalists (those birds that can survive in other habitats) and specialists (those that are particularly reliant on certain landscapes).

 

Mike Clarke said the latest revelations demonstrate "That urgent action is needed beyond the confines of nature reserves."