An Enquiry to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Angus Macmillan:

Visitor name:
Visitor e-mail:
Date of comment: 29/07/2007 15:16:56
Page commented on: http://www.rspb.org.uk/media/releases/index.asp

Comment:
The RSPB rightly condemns rogue gamekeepers for poisoning raptors that
prey on the eggs and chicks of gamebirds.

So is it ethical that you should be killing, or advocating the killing
of, wildlife that prey of the eggs and chicks of birds you wish to
protect?

______________________


RSPB:

Thank you for your enquiry.

The RSPB only undertakes predator control if the species concerned
poses a real conservation threat to one or other species. A good
example would be the short-term control of foxes and crows at
Abernethy Forest in order to improve the parlous state of the resident
capercaillie and black grouse populations.

Yours sincerely

Darren Oakley-Martin
Wildlife Advisor
The RSPB
The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL
Tel: 01767 693419

__________________


Angus Macmillan:

Subject: Predator Control
Date: 01/08/2007

To:


Dear Mr Oakley-Martin

Does the text below sound familiar, despite the slight alterations?

Rogue gamekeepers only undertake predator control if the species
concerned poses a real conservation threat to one or other species. A
good example would be the short-term control of birds of prey on
shooting estates in order to improve the parlous state of the resident
pheasant and grouse populations.

Of course it should! It's more or less your reply word for word.

So ethically there is little or no difference between rogue
gamekeepers and the RSPB.

Both are killing wildlife for the same reason.


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

All truth passes through three stages:
First, it is ridiculed;
Second, it is violently opposed; and
Third, it is accepted as self-evident.
-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)