Environmental impacts of driven grouse shooting

Photo: Patrick Laurie

IBIS, the international journal of avian science, has published a paper on the environmental impacts of driven grouse shooting.  The lead author is Pat Thompson, from the RSPB, and he is supported by other authors from the RSPB; Martin Harper has introduced the paper in his blog post: "A view from the hills: reaction to new paper published on the environmental impacts of driven grouse shooting".

In many ways, the Understanding Predation project has addressed many of the issues and concerns highlighted in the report.  Looking at it today, it is obvious that this report would be expected to include a reference to the project.  The paper has extensive reference to predation, and it is disappointing that there is no reference.  I suspect that a reason for this is the gestation time for reports of this nature, and the project report would not have been published when this paper was finalised.  However, a reference to what was coming would have been welcome.  After all the toil and strife to produce the report, reference to the work at every opportunity will be welcome!

This paper will be of general interest to the followers of this blog, but Martin Harper's post also refers to the Curlew recovery programme that the RSPB is leading.  

The final act of the Understanding Predation project will be a seminar on 3 May, and we will be looking to identify and consider opportunities for collective, adaptive action to apply the principles established by the project.  As Curlew is one of the six focal species covered by the project report, and identified as being in serious decline, the species recovery programme will be of relevance to the discussions.