The NGO and partners commit to continuing with a Bird of Prey Initiative in the Peak District

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Last week, the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) announced that it is walking away from the Peak District Bird of Prey Initiative (PDBOPI).

The NGO and other partners in this initiative, including the Moorland Association and the Peak District Moorland Group, were dismayed at this decision, and have written jointly to the PDNPA to express our disappointment.

We asked why this decision was made unilaterally by the convener of the Initiative when key participants such as our own members, land agents and gamekeepers who manage most of the land area – as well as police officers involved – are keen for the Initiative to continue, particularly in view of the positive outcomes that have been achieved.

While some species may not have recovered to the numbers recorded in 1990, they are all present and fledging young while other populations have expanded significantly as highlighted by Natural England’s Breeding Birds Survey. Buzzards and Ravens have returned to the Peak District skies in abundance and Hen Harriers, an unfolding success story repeated across the North of England, had an unprecedented five breeding attempts with two successful nests. The long-term trend of the initiative is one of improvement in occupied territories and/or fledging success with a reduction in confirmed illegal incidents. It makes little sense to walk away now.

When failures among species do occur it is, of course disappointing for all involved, but we believe the long-term benefits to species to combat the nature emergency we all face would be better served with land managers at the heart of conserving habitat to encourage birds of prey working with the police to protect them. There are many reasons why bird of prey numbers fluctuate from year to year, and why nests fail or are abandoned. It is certainly not always due to illegal killing.  We are proud of the relationships that have been built which have been strong enough for gamekeepers to work side by side with the police to help arrest an egg collector and protect a peregrine eyrie from thieves.

In view of this decision, the Peak District Moorland Group, Moorland Association and The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation are committed to exploring how we can carry on the valuable work of the Initiative in liaison with the police and other stakeholders, including the Chatsworth Forum to which we will continue to report back. The BoPI is a workstream within Moorland Birds from the Chatsworth Forum and is as important as visitor management, peatland protection and wildfire mitigation. We will also continue to find a way through to protect peatlands from wildfire; another key plank of the Chatworth Forum that the Park promised to convene, yet it has stalled. It seems to many that rather than working with your land managers, the PDNPA is determined to cut them adrift. This is regrettable and does not serve your statutory purposes well.