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Headlines from tweek beginning 28 August 2017 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
PAW Scotland warns of risky dolphin and whale encounters in Scotland
this summer - Scottish Natural Heritage Several incidents in Scotland this summer involving dolphins, orcas
and humpback whales have endangered not only the animals, but also boat
operators. The Scottish Government-led Partnership for Action Against Wildlife
Crime Scotland (PAW Scotland) is urging boat and marine craft operators
to respect Scotland’s marine wildlife or they could risk endangering
themselves and the animals, as well as face criminal charges.
This follows a number of incidents around Scotland this summer which
are being investigated by Police Scotland: in Shetland, a photographer
in a boat circled a pod of killer whales too closely and then split the
pod; and there have been boats causing problems with dolphins at
Chanonry Point and at Aberdeen Harbour. There have also been a number of
other incidents in Shetland where boats near busy marinas or harbours
have been too close or going too fast to pods of killer whales, and
ongoing issues on the Tay with jet skiers and dolphins, particularly
near Broughty Ferry. Members of the public have also raised concerns
about boats going to close to humpback whales seen recently at St Cyrus
National Nature Reserve. Whales, dolphins and porpoises which frequent our coastline are
protected under the Conservation (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1994.
This includes protection from disturbance (whether it be reckless or
deliberate), harassment, killing and injury, with offences subject to a
fine of up to £5000. Warmer weather leads to an increase in
marine craft operating around Scotland’s coast and this naturally leads
to an increase in the likelihood of a lucky encounter with a cetacean. Sgt. Andrew Mavin, Police Scotland Wildlife Crime Co-ordinator
explained, “We’ve received several reports of boat operators getting far
too close to cetaceans, sometimes apparently following them to get a
good photograph. These animals are extremely powerful and people
shouldn’t get too close for obvious reasons; there is also a possibility
of injury to the animals themselves from boats and other marine craft.
There are clear guidelines available for watching marine wildlife, so
ignorance of the law is not an excuse. I encourage anyone
witnessing a suspected crime to contact police Scotland on 101 as soon
as possible. Details of the boat or craft are essential to help us
identify the operator.”
New fund launched to reduce litter through innovative projects
- Department for Communities and Local
Government, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Local communities urged to get 'smart' on tackling litter with launch
of the new Government Litter Innovation Fund
Almost £500,000 will be awarded to community projects to tackle the
blight of littering, Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey announced on 26
August. The money will support the development of new innovation and
approaches for tackling litter, from behavioural research for better
positioned bins and recycling points so more people throw their rubbish
away, to digital technology. This includes apps and ‘smart-bins’ that
can text alerts to rubbish collectors when they are full, stopping nasty
litter from spilling out onto our high streets or leading people to
litter nearby. Cleaning up the country’s streets costs the tax payer almost £800
million a year when much of this is avoidable litter, and money that
could be better spent in the community. Despite this, a worrying 1 in 5 people have admitted to dropping
litter in the past. The Litter Innovation Fund will support local areas
to crack down and reduce littering in our communities by enabling local
authorities, community groups, charities, educational institutions, and
small and medium enterprises to apply for funding towards innovative and
creative solutions to the problem. All projects will be measured and evaluated to assess their
effectiveness and the most successful could be rolled out more widely.
This will ensure local authorities and communities make the best use of
a host of innovative solutions in focussing their resources to tackle
the scourge of litter. In addition, some £45,000 of the fund will be exclusively dedicated
to projects designed to address marine littering and help prevent the
amount of plastic entering our oceans. Information for applicants to the Litter Innovation Fund can be found
on WRAP’s website
First ever floating aviary to save world’s rarest duck
- Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust A flock of tufted ducks will spend the next ten days in the world’s
first known floating aviary at the WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre,
Gloucestershire as part of a trial that could save their cousins on the
other side of the world, the Madagascar Pochard.
No attempt to reintroduce a diving duck species into the wild has
ever been successful, so WWT conservationists have had to think outside
the box. Visitors to WWT Slimbridge will be able to watch the young ducks
settle into their new home on the wetland centre’s South Finger Reedbed
lake. If the floating aviary succeeds in easing the ducks’ transition from
captivity to life in the wild, the same method will be used to release
the Madagascar pochard – the world’s rarest duck – back into the wild in
2018. Madagascar pochards spend almost all their time on water and, importantly, feed underwater, so WWT conservationists came up with the original idea of adapting salmon-farming cages as pre-release aviaries. To ensure the method is safe for the birds, it is being trialled on UK native tufted ducks. The ducks will be housed in the floating aviaries for five to ten days while they adjust to their new surroundings. Once they are comfortable, conservationists will open a door in the aviary to allow them to come and go as they please. The tufted ducks in the Slimbridge trial will be closely monitored by scientists, who will use radio tags to ensure that they adapt successfully to life in the wild.
Proposed Badger Cull in Cheshire
- Cheshire
Wildlife Trust There has been a lot of talk over the last few months about a badger
cull potentially taking place in Cheshire soon. We have heard from number of sources across the region that a badger
cull could start in Cheshire East as soon as the end of this week (1st
September); but have still not had any confirmation from the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs or Natural England – despite
asking a number of times. The last response that we received from Natural England explained: “A
licence to control badgers for the prevention of disease would only be
issued in the worst affected areas of the country – areas currently
under annual routine TB testing (predominantly within the West and South
West of England). We appreciate your reasons for wanting to know the
locations where licensed operations will take place, however we are
unable to release exact details or maps of any of the control areas,
individual land holdings or participants because of concerns for public
safety. The culling of badgers is a sensitive issue and we are
withholding this information on the basis that publication may cause
both unnecessary or unjustified distress or damage to the individuals;
and may increase the likelihood of groups opposed to the policy
disrupting control activity.” We are continuing to seek confirmation and have also submitted a
freedom of information request around this issue.
The Trust will update this page, as we hear more. Whilst we are very conscious of the hardship that bovine TB causes in
the farming community we remain firmly opposed to the Government’s
continued strategy of putting badger culling at the heart of efforts to
tackle the disease. We do not believe that a cull is the answer.
Thousands of fish rescued from canal -
Natural Resources Wales Over 15,000 fish have been rescued from a canal in Newport following
a leak. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) teamed up with Newport City Council and
local angling clubs to save the fish on Saturday 26 August at Fourteen
Locks, a land-locked section of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal.
A breach in this section of the canal caused water to leak out and
drop to a critically low level, putting the lives of the fish in danger. The mixed coarse fish, such as roach, carp, bream and rudd, were
captured using nets and some being stunned using electric fishing
techniques. They were then transported safely further up the canal in a
large tank towed by a NRW truck. Jon Goldsworthy, Operations Manager for Natural Resources Wales,
said: “We knew we had to act quickly to rescue the fish as the
water and oxygen levels were falling quickly. With the help of our
partners and volunteers, we manged to save thousands of fish. They
may not have survived for much longer in those conditions. Newport City
Council, who own the site, will continue to monitor the canal and put
plans in place to fix the leak and move any remaining fish.”
Otters learn by copying each other -
University of Exeter Otters can learn how to solve puzzles by watching and copying each
other, new research shows. Scientists created a series of puzzles baited with food, and found
smooth-coated otters watched and copied each other’s problem-solving
techniques – with young otters more likely to copy than their parents. But another species – Asian short-clawed otters – showed no sign of
copying each other.
Many otter species are classified as threatened, vulnerable or
endangered, and the researchers say their study may help improve efforts
to reintroduce otters into the wild. “Social learning has been studied in many species, but never in
otters,” said Dr Neeltje Boogert, of the Centre for Ecology and
Conservation at the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.
“Our results suggest smooth-coated otters adopt a ‘copy when young’
strategy. The offspring in our study learned how to solve these puzzles
much quicker than their parents – more than six times faster. The order
in which the young otters solved the puzzles followed the strength of
their social ties. This indicates that the juveniles copied those
siblings they spent most time with.” The otters, which were studied in zoos and wildlife parks in the UK,
were given puzzles such as Tupperware containers with clips on the lid,
screw-top lids or pull-off lids. The puzzles were baited with treats
such as peanuts or fish heads. The most difficult task was one
where a block of frozen shrimp was attached to a bamboo cane that had to
be moved upwards and to the right to extract from a box – and less than
half of the otters managed to solve it. Read the paper (open access): Zosia Ladds, William Hoppitt, Neeltje J. Boogert. Social learning in otters. R. Soc. open sci. 2017 4 170489; DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170489.
DWT Protect Internationally Important Sunderland Grassland
– Durham Wildlife Trust Durham Wildlife Trust have acquired an internationally important
habitat in the form of Herrington Hill.
Herrington Hill SSSI (image Durham Wildlife
Trust) There is only 270 ha of Magnesian Limestone (Mag-lime) Grassland in
the world, County Durham is home to 75% of this. Durham Wildlife Trust
already owns or manages a number of Mag-lime grasslands but Herrington
Hill represents an example of ‘Primary’ Mag-lime grassland. Secondary Mag-lime grasslands, areas which have seen development but
have since been recolonised, include DWT Bishop Middleham Quarry and
Trimdon Grange Quarry Nature Reserves. Whilst the purchase of the land has been covered, the Trust will
begin fundraising in order to ensure future management costs can be met.
It is very unusual for a habitat such as this to become available, in
part because it is so rare. Herrington Hill is a significant acquisition
for Durham Wildlife Trust and becomes our 36th Nature Reserve, protected
for wildlife and for people.
Glimmer
of hope for Curlew – British Trust for
Ornithology The UK holds almost a third of the global breeding population of
Curlew. Declines here have been greatest in Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland, and in Ireland the breeding range has contracted by a massive
78%. As a result of this the Curlew has been proposed as the UK’s
highest avian conservation priority. By analysing long-term monitoring
data, collected by thousands of volunteer birdwatchers from across the
country as part of the BTO/RSPB/JNCC Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), the
British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has, for the first time, documented
how a range of different pressures may be responsible for this national
decline. Curlew (image: Tommy Holden / BTO) Curlews breed at highest densities in areas of semi-natural grassland
and on moorland, and are particularly associated with the uplands. The
study, led by Dr Samantha Franks, found that Curlew declines have been
greatest in landscapes where these habitats have been afforested, and
where populations of generalist predators (crows and foxes) are high.
Being ground-nesters, this probably reflects the vulnerability of Curlew
nests and chicks to predation. They also seemed to have declined more in
warmer, drier areas, potentially through impacts on their invertebrate
food. Read the full press release
here (pdf)
Campaigners call for more trees, less tarmac, in the Government’s
forthcoming roads strategy - Campaign for
Better Transport An alliance of 17 environmental groups is proposing a fresh approach
to the Government’s second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2) focused on
improving existing roads and motorways rather than building new ones. Their joint report, Rising
to the challenge: a shared green vision for RIS2, co-ordinated by
Campaign for Better Transport, calls for funding to be prioritised for a
‘green retrofit’ of the strategic road network ahead of new road
capacity, and for the Road Investment Strategy to be assessed against
the UK carbon budget. Stephen Joseph, Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport,
said: “The Government’s Road Investment Strategy needs to focus on how
existing roads can be improved, not on building new road capacity. Our
joint report sets out a clear case for a greener RIS2. With a focus on
green retrofit and better integration with the rest of the transport
network, Highways England can reduce the impact of roads to benefit
people and the environment alike.” The report sets out three key principles for RIS2:
The report builds on the 2014 report Better not bigger, which led to
the £900 million designated funds for environmental improvements in the
first Road Investment Strategy. The new report calls for these funds to
be retained and expanded to deliver a green retrofit of the network in
the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2).
Satellite-tagged hen harrier disappears on Deeside grouse moor
- RSPB Scotland Rare bird of prey vanishes on 12th August
RSPB Scotland has issued an appeal for information after a young hen
harrier, fitted with a satellite tag as part of the charity’s EU-funded
Hen Harrier LIFE project, disappeared on an Aberdeenshire grouse moor. “Calluna”, a female harrier, was tagged this summer at a nest on the
National Trust for Scotland’s Mar Lodge estate, near Braemar. Her
transmitter’s data was being monitored by RSPB Scotland and showed that
the bird fledged from the nest in July. She left the area in early
August, with the data showing her gradually heading east over the
Deeside moors. However, while the tag data showed it to be working
perfectly, transmissions abruptly ended on 12th August, with no further
data transmitted. Calluna’s last recorded position was on a grouse moor
a few miles north of Ballater, in the Cairngorms National Park. Hen harriers are one of the UK’s rarest raptors and the 2016 national
survey results released earlier this year showed that even in Scotland,
the species’ stronghold, these birds are struggling. The number of
breeding pairs in Scotland now stands at 460, a fall of 27 per cent
since 2004, with illegal killing in areas managed for driven grouse
shooting identified as one of the main drivers of this decline. David Frew, Operations Manager for the National Trust for Scotland at
Mar Lodge Estate, said: “It is deeply saddening to learn that Calluna
appears to have been lost, so soon after fledging from Mar Lodge Estate.
Hen harriers were persecuted on Deeside for a great many years, and we
had hoped that the first successful breeding attempt on Mar Lodge Estate
in 2016 would signal the start of a recovery for these magnificent birds
in the area. Only one month after fledging, and having travelled
only a relatively short distance, it appears that we will no longer be
able to follow the progress of our 2017 chick. We hope however that the
data her tag has provided will help to inform a wider understanding of
the lives and threats faced by hen harriers.” Response:
SGA urges members to assist Police with missing harrier
- Scottish Gamekeepers Association In response to an RSPB media release seeking more information
regarding a tagged Hen Harrier which has gone missing in Deeside, the
SGA has asked any members who know anything to assist Police Scotland. A Spokesman for The Scottish Gamekeepers Association said: "The SGA
would urge anyone who saw the bird or knows anything about it to contact
Police Scotland. This is the first we have heard of this. Obviously any
news like this is very disappointing. The SGA condemns raptor
persecution and if any of our members are convicted of a wildlife crime
they are removed from our organisation. We have learned from those
monitoring tags that birds can move some distance away from where they
were last recorded so it is important that, if people know anything,
they alert the Police immediately.”
World's longest coastal footpath one step closer
- Natural England 100% of the England Coast Path is now either being worked on
or complete. Tourists from around the globe will soon be able to step foot on the
longest coastal walking route in the world as work is officially
underway along every stretch of the
England Coast Path.
Natural England is now working on 100 per cent of this 2,700 mile
walking route, which when completed will allow people to explore new and
improved routes along the entire length of the English coastline –
taking in iconic sights like the White Cliffs of Dover, the beaches of
Norfolk and the picturesque North Yorkshire coast. England’s spectacular coastline already attracts 300 million visits a
year, with people spending up to three times more than at any other
holiday destination. And with the South West stretch already worth £400 million to the
economy, by offering new and improved access to some of the country’s
best tourist hot spots, the England Coast Path will bring a huge boost
to tourism – an industry already worth £106 billion. So far Natural England has opened just over 300 miles of coastline, helping thousands of people access some of England’s most spectacular coastal scenery. Response:
One step closer to the England Coast Path -
Ramblers Ramblers’ director of advocacy and engagement, Nicky Philpott said:
“This is a huge milestone in the story of the England Coast Path and one
we should celebrate. Building sandcastles on the beach, dipping toes in
the sea and taking a stroll along clifftops are favourite activities
that cross generations and bring us all together. So it might
surprise you that until recently, a third of England’s coastline was
inaccessible. The Ramblers has long dreamed of a country where everyone
can freely enjoy our beautiful coast, so we were pleased that after
years of campaigning, in 2010, work started on the England Coast Path.” Response:
Coastal access ‘unnecessary use of public money’, says CLA
- Country Landowners Association CLA President Ross Murray said: “It is disappointing that the
Government is spending so much time and public money unnecessarily on a
project which largely replicates existing access to the coast. The money
is being spent to solve a problem which didn’t exist in the first place.
There was already access to 84% of the coast before Natural England
began the project and as the rollout is showing, access to the rest is
often not possible because of crucial conservation sites, ports,
harbours or military bases. If the Government wanted to spend money on
the coast it would have been better allocated to improving maintenance,
signs, toilets and car parks on already established paths.
New research by the University of Stirling on our Dementia Friendly
Walking project - Paths for All “I am walking to keep myself alive” Earlier this year, Paths for All commissioned The University of
Stirling’s Faculty of Social Science to evaluate the progress of the
Dementia Friendly Walking project. The research team spent time visiting
a number of dementia friendly health walks and carried out interviews
and focus group discussions with walkers and volunteers. The research found that health walks play an important part in
enabling people living with dementia to access the outdoors, engage in
physical activity, and meet other people within a largely safe and
secure outdoor environment. Support in the form of volunteer walk
leaders was crucial to delivering dementia friendly health walks. Five key themes emerged from the research:
The report also made some specific recommendations around ensuring
adequate support and training is given to volunteer walk leaders to
fulfil their role. In addition, volunteer walk leaders should also be
given recognition for the wider activities that they perform on top of
just leading walks. The study highlighted the benefits of an inclusive
model based on mixed groups including people with and without dementia
as the main model for walks. While walks should be promoted as dementia
friendly, a model based exclusively on walks for people with dementia
may be less successful in facilitating the overarching sense of
inclusiveness that those participating valued. You can download and read the full report and the executive summary
both PDF:
Dementia Friendly Evaluation 2017
We've just vaccinated the 100th badger of the year!
- Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Our dedicated team of vaccinators have been out vaccinating badgers
all week and have now brought the total number of badgers vaccinated
this year in Derbyshire to 104! We are ensuring badgers in the county are vaccinated against Bovine
tuberculosis (bTB) in a bid to convince the Government that vaccination
is far more effective and ethical than the badger cull.
The Trust developed the badger vaccination programme with a number of
partners including the National Trust and the Derbyshire Badger Groups,
and have been working with famers and landowners to vaccinate badgers
across Derbyshire since 2014. Last year the Government supply of Tb
vaccine was pulled because of a global shortage. The vaccine was needed
to vaccinate humans and couldn’t be spared for badger vaccination
programmes in the UK. Undeterred, we managed to source a supply of the Bovine TB vaccine
from Canada earlier this year and twelve dedicated volunteers were
trained in the new vaccine delivery system so Derbyshire’s vaccination
programme could continue. Tim Birch, Head of Living Landscapes North said, “All the hard work is paying off. Sourcing the vaccine at the start of the year has now meant that our dedicated volunteers have been able to vaccinate over 100 badgers across Derbyshire. We have more vaccinations scheduled in other areas of Derbyshire in the coming weeks so this total is set to continue to rise. Progress is also being made on a national level with ongoing discussions about restarting the Government vaccination programme for 2018, how this would work and how it would be funded.”
Which is your favourite park? The People's Choice vote is open now
- Green Flag Award People's Choice vote to find the UK's top 10 favourite parks is now
open. Following the huge success of #LoveParks, here is another chance to
show how much your favourite park means to you. Vote for your favourite
park in the People's Choice Awards 2017. You can vote anytime from 1st -30th September. All the UK's 1,797
award winning Green Flag Award parks are eligible and voting is simple. Simply use
the map to find to your favourite park and click the vote button.
It's really that simple. Once you've voted, don't forget to encourage
others to get involved too. The top 10 winning parks will be announced on 11th October If your favourite park is worth shouting about, make your voice heard
- vote
now.
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CJS is not responsible for content of external sites. Details believed correct but given without prejudice. Disclaimer: the views expressed in these news pages do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CJS. |
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Bottlenose
dolphins at Chanonry Point, Moray Firth (image:
New,
innovative community projects against litter will be able to bid for new
funding (image: gov.uk)
Floating
aviary (image: Sam-Stafford / WWT)
(Image:
NRW)
Smooth-coated
otters (credit Dr Nicole Duplaix)
In
between Houghton-le-Spring and the city of Sunderland, Herrington Hill
comprises 17.3acres (7 ha) of Magnesian Limestone Grassland. The area,
also SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), came on the market
earlier this year with a clear need for protection.
Hen
harrier Calluna with tag (image: RSPB Scotland)
View
of Staithes from route in North Yorkshire (credit: Natural England)
100th
badger to be vaccinated this year, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust (image:
Mike Bryant, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust)
