New report from the NGO examines the importance of the Humane Cable Restraint in protecting vulnerable species

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The NGO have published a new report which examines the importance of the Humane Cable Restraint (HCR) in protecting vulnerable species.
 
Through a combination of case studies, scientific research from the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and a survey of NGO members, the report examines the likely effects on vulnerable species if their use were banned. The report also examines the reasons why people use HCRs and what the alternatives are (where alternatives exist).
 
The UK Government has made a formal commitment to protect and conserve a minimum of 30% of land and sea for biodiversity by 2030; a pledge known as ’30 x 30’. The NGO believes that 30 x 30 cannot be delivered without the full support of landowners throughout the UK. Land managed for shooting and conservation constantly delivers positive results for nature.
 
An essential step towards the recovery of ground-nesting bird species, many of which are red- and amber-listed, is through targeted predator control. As case studies and the survey contained in the report demonstrate, the Humane Cable Restraint (HCR) is a proven, valuable and vital component of conservation management, and an essential tool in providing positive benefits for vulnerable species.
 
The report also outlines the scientific research which went into developing the Humane Cable Restraints: how they work, how they have been designed to improve animal welfare, and how they differ from old-fashioned snare traps.
 
We have sent the report to Defra Ministers and Shadow Ministers, Defra staff and numerous MPs with rural constituencies, as well as other relevant organisations and individuals. We hope this will help them to understand why the HCR is such a vital tool, and how the removal of it from a land manager's toolbox would negatively affect conservation work and farmers' livelihoods. 

Note to Editors:

The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation: The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) represents the gamekeepers of England and Wales. The NGO defends and promotes gamekeeping and gamekeepers and works to ensure high standards throughout the profession. The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation was founded in 1997 by a group of gamekeepers who felt that keepering was threatened by public misunderstanding and poor representation. Today, the organisation has are around 13,000 members.
www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk