18th June 2020
Hopes of a successful breeding season rose today after moorland estates managed for red grouse across the North of England have reported an encouraging number of Hen Harrier nests on their land. These include six nests in Lancashire, four nests in Cumbria and two nests in Yorkshire. The dozen nests reported so far this year […]
2nd June 2020
Leading rural organisations have today joined forces to call on the Environment Secretary, George Eustice, to bring the chaotic wildlife licensing system run by Natural England back into central Government where it can be fixed. A new paper, ‘Wildlife Licensing in England: Chaos, Crisis and Cure’, written by the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, the Moorland […]
29th May 2020
Amanda Anderson, Director of the Moorland Association, today urged that science and facts should dominate the debate over raptor persecution. We need greater use of official facts and science in the debate to end raptor persecution. No-one is denying there is an issue and the law should be applied rigorously where wildlife crime happens – […]
15th May 2020
Welcoming the North Yorkshire Police online day of action (15th May 2020) Amanda Anderson, Director of the Moorland Association, said: The Moorland Association is a partner in the national Operation Owl and fully supports its virtual day of action to raise awareness of raptor persecution. Our members have been actively working with police authorities for […]
15th May 2020
Responding to the RSPB press release – Bird of prey persecution crimewave during lockdown (14th May 2020) Amanda Anderson, Director of the Moorland Association, said: “Any confirmed reports of raptor persecution are cause for concern. The incidents specified near Leeds and York in the RSPB release are clearly not on grouse moors, while reports we […]
13th May 2020
The newly-elected chairman of the Moorland Association, Mark Cunliffe-Lister, said today that ‘listening to the science’ will demonstrate the vital contribution moorland makes in terms of habitat and biodiversity. Mr Cunliffe-Lister, who runs Swinton Estate in Yorkshire, said there is a tremendous opportunity to build on the multiple habitat and biodiversity successes that moorland management […]
31st March 2020
Moorland managers are ‘eyes and ears’ against wildfires Gamekeepers and moorland manages are stepping up their efforts to help prevent wildfires putting extra strain on emergency services. The unseasonably warm weather conditions are already resulting in daily wildfires, placing even greater pressure on our fire and rescue services. Belmont in Lancaster notorious for its history […]
12th March 2020
The Moorland Association today welcomes the development of the Firewise Communities initiative. Firewise Communities is an international programme based on research by the world’s leading fire experts on ignition of homes from wildfire. The programme encourages communities to work together to reduce the risk to homes from wildfire by taking practical steps in the area […]
25th February 2020
The Peak District Bird of Prey Initiative has published its 2019 breeding season report. The report brings together data on key birds of prey or ‘raptors’ nesting within the Dark Peak – a largely upland region of the Peak District National Park. Results from the 2019 season include the fledging of goshawks from all eight […]
24th February 2020
Leading shooting and rural organisations have today announced they want an end to the use of lead and single-use plastics in shotgun ammunition for live quarry shooting within five years. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), British Game Alliance (BGA), Countryside Alliance (CA), Country Land and Business Association (CLA), Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), The National Gamekeepers’ […]
75% of Europe’s remaining upland heather moorland is found in the UK – but this area declined alarmingly over the latter part of the last century. The Moorland Association was set up in 1986 to coordinate the efforts of moorland owners and managers to halt this loss, particularly in England and Wales.
ROBUST AND RESILIENT RAPTOR POPULATIONS ON NORTH YORK MOORS New data published by the Moorland Association shows a flourishing raptor population on grouse moors in the North York Moors for the third year running. Spaunton Estate saw a total of 1,552 raptors in its annual counts, double the number recorded in 2018. The most populous species of raptor is Buzzards – 726 sightings were […]
SECOND TIME LUCKY FOR NIDDERDALE BARN OWLS Gamekeepers in Nidderdale are celebrating the successful fledging of three barn owls after the sad loss of two chicks last year. In 2020 in the same barn three owlets hatched but two of the three fell to their death from a ledge several metres up. To improve the beautiful and protected birds’ chances this year, […]
