Conservation groups are branded 'wildlife criminals' by gamekeeper

Britain's leading conservation organisations have been branded 'wildlife criminals' by gamekeepers who accuse them of damaging rather than protecting the countryside.

The editor of the official magazine of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association has launched a stinging attack on the policies, agendas and protectionist attitudes of groups such as Scottish Natural Heritage .

Bert Burnett said that, while members of the land management community were often accused of wildlife crimes, in his view it was conservation groups with policies which allow predators to breed and spread that are the bigger culprits.

The plight of red squirrels, the capercaillie and black grouse, which gamekeepers say often fall prey to protected predators, are cited as examples of where conservationists are failing in their duty to help endangered species.

Burnett said: 'The agendas and protectionist attitudes of the so-called conservation groups constitute a far higher level of wildlife crime than the occasional act carried out (wrongly) by a few frustrated individuals.'

The gamekeeper, who has 40 years' experience, claims that all raptor populations are either stable or have increased greatly over the past couple of decades, while the numbers of waders, rare ducks and other endangered species are falling.

'Scottish Natural Heritage, whose stated role as advisers to our government is to "look after Scotland's wildlife", appears to be doing nothing but prevaricating - even to the point of stating that the red squirrel may be extinct in the UK within 15 years - which does little to help save these lovely creatures.

'Many organisations, including the SGA, have offered to help reduce the numbers of greys but no nationwide plan has been developed and we can only conclude that SNH is determined to make its prediction come true.'

Burnett claims that, in addition to the threat posed by the grey squirrel, reds are also in danger from woodland raptors such as buzzards and goshawks, and pine martens.

Instead of protecting the pine marten at any cost, Burnett said, many gamekeepers would rather see a policy of removing it from areas where it is a threat to other, more endangered, species. 'SNH are promoting the spread of this killer,' he said.

'If all these "conservation" bodies continue to make decisions based along PC lines, then the "Future" will have every right to appoint them as the most prolific wildlife criminals in history.'

A spokesman for SNH denied that the organisation operated a 'predator protection policy at any cost'.

'We have put a huge amount of effort into producing a species action framework which sets out very clearly the sort of work that needs to be done to conserve the capercailie, black grouse, red squirrel, water vole as well as tackling some of the non-native species such as the American mink and grey squirrel.'

 Paul Kelbie

The Observer

Comments (3)

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written by Shegs , June 13, 2008

You only have to watch one program of Springwatch presented by the Bearded Tit, to see how emotional and biased people get about the wrong type of creatures. Basically, people who have influence or power in countryside issues have not got enough real experience in what really happens in the real world of nature. To be honest, the wrong people make the decisions in rural affairs.It's about time the people who live and work in the countryside had more control what happens in the enviroment that they and only they know best.

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written by Aaron , June 15, 2008

I agree having worked for the National Trust and one of the Wildlife Trusts I observed these organisations becoming increasingly limited in their policies for the conservation of some species and the control of others by the need to keep their suppporting membership happy. Other organisations such as the RSPCA do not help as they interfere in issues surrounding coutryside sports and the need to control pest species when it is outside of their remit and knowledge.

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written by kedwould , July 25, 2008

well if the u.k wasn't exceeding its carrying cappacity and had more woodland and all it's inhabitants lived closer and more intubne with nature then it would flourish, and we wouldn't need conservation groups trying to prorect and save half of britains wildlife. Agreeing with aaron the species are limited but also because of peoples perception of nature and certain animals. No one really shoots rabbits or tackles the problem, people see them as cuddly and cute. For example the tiger, it's everywhere as cuddlt toys story books, young children are growing up with it and frankly their parents parents aren't trying to suppourt the friendly tigger that their kids are falling asleep holding. groups are limited by public suppourt but some people don't want to suppourt it, It turns into a niche group or stereotype of people that are easily targetted by banter and comments. I do not know if that made snese but i dammn sure feel better. much love.

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