On Sun, 18 Jun 2006 07:48:08 +0100, Malcolm
wrote:


In article ,
writes

The problem I have with the RSPB is that they kill, and support the
killing of, wildlife to suit their varying agendas. They also allow
the shooting of wild and game birds on their reserves.

Let's have a little honesty, please, Angus.

The RSPB has over 140 reserves. Are you claiming that they allow "the
shooting of wild and game birds" on all of them? If not, perhaps you
would like to tell us, firstly, on how many of them does shooting
actually take place and, secondly, on how many of those the RSPB
"allows" shooting, as opposed to them not being in a position to stop
it, bearing in mind that they may not own the shooting rights.


In the minds of most people, the RSPB is an organisation that protects
birds but in reality there is another side to it.

Some time ago, I came across a British Association for Shooting and
Conservation web-page, where it was revealed that shooters were
"managing" a wildfowl reserve for the RSPB. Within a day of me
bringing this to the attention of an Internet Newsgroup, the page was
removed from the Internet. Following a telephone call to the RSPB
headquarters in Edinburgh, I wrote to them asking if they would
identify the location of this reserve. They didn't reply.

Consequently, I started to do some research and found that shooting
tenants on their Abernethy Reserve kill about 200 brace of red grouse
each year. The RSPB's explanation was, "it is good for public
relations as the reserve is then not seen as divorced from normal
country pursuits".

Within a few days I came across the following message from a
contributor to an Internet wildfowling forum. "I shoot over marches
owned by the RSPB. They lease the Humber wildfowlers the shooting on
there and I suppose we sort of police them for the RSPB. Ironic how
they publicly attack us but still let us shoot on there."

Apart from the RSPB's continued advocacy for the slaughter of Ruddy
Ducks, Uist Hedgehogs, Lundy Rats and various species of deer, they
are also involved with those who shoot birds for fun and recreation.
Some way of "protecting" birds!

In my opinion, to solicit money from the general public for the
"protection of birds", then to allow them to be shot on "reserves",
which should be safe havens, is dishonest and disgraceful.


Angus Macmillan
www.roots-of-blood.org.uk
www.killhunting.org
www.con-servation.org.uk