FROM PROTECT THE WILD — SCOTLAND BAN SNARES — WALES BANNED BEFORE —WHAT ABOUT US?

 

	Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more GREAT NEWS! Scotland's snare ban comes in to effect New rules part of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act. ELIZA EGRET NOV 28   READ IN APP   It's a massive victory for wildlife as Scotland's snare ban comes into force on 25 November. The new legislation follows one year after Wales' snare ban, while England continues to lag far behind both countries when it comes to the welfare of wildlife. Scotland banned snares back in March of this year as part of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act, but it is only today that it can be enforced. Along with a ban on snares, and like similar legislation in England and Wales, the Act makes it illegal to use or supply glue traps. Snares are used by gamekeepers on shooting estates in a cruel and misguided attempt to protect birds – who are going to be killed for sport – from predators. Data from a few years ago suggested that approximately 1.7 million animals are caught in snares across the UK every year, though this figure will likely drop considerably with the bans in force in Wales and Scotland. Admirably, too, Guernsey voted through a snare, glue trap and lamping ban in July. 'We must build on this momentum' Scottish Greens' Ariane Burgess - who was instrumental in securing the ban - celebrated, saying: "It is a victory that animal rights campaigners should be proud of. Without their pressure calling for all snares to be outlawed, our wildlife would still be subject to this cruelty... Scotland has brought in the most robust laws on hunting with dogs in the UK, and we will continue to campaign for an end to cruel blood sports across species and wildlife crime that has no place in our modern society." She concluded: “We must build on this momentum and keep pushing for even further improvements for all of Scotland’s creatures, great and small.” OneKInd celebrate the snare ban November 2024. Image OneKind Meanwhile, Scottish animal welfare charity OneKind celebrated by gathering outside Scottish Parliament, along with MSPs. OneKind Director, Bob Elliot (third from left in the image above), said: “Today is a historic day for Scotland. After decades of campaigning for a ban, we are thrilled that from today the use of snares is now illegal." He continued: “Fourteen years ago, we stood in this very same spot, with a very similar sign, to encourage the Scottish Government and public to envision a snare-free Scotland. Today, we’re thrilled that this is no longer a vision, but a reality.” Labour needs to follow suit When Labour reached power in July of this year, the Protect the Wild team celebrated with cautious optimism. Before winning the election, Labour stated that it would ban snares in England if elected. While it is yet to take any meaningful action, a harrowing video, published by The Mirror on 17 November, has put the snare ban argument at the forefront of public consciousness again. The footage shows a fox caught in a snare on King Charles' Sandringham estate. Just days later the Green Britain Foundationreleased undercover footage of a fox trapped in a snare on the Duke of Westminster's estate in Cheshire. The shooting industry previously tried hard to hoodwink Scottish and Welsh politicians as they prepared to change snare legislation, with land owners and gamekeepers making their pro-snare, pro-cruelty voices loudly heard. And we can be sure of yet more lobbying of Westminster politicians to come. Protect the Wild will be ready to counteract the false narratives that come from the shooting industry: we are likely to see lobbyists trying to persuade politicians that ‘humane cable restraints’ are pain-free alternatives that should be implemented in England, for example. Of course, there’s nothing ‘humane’ about these restraints. In fact, they’re just the same old snares being marketed as something else – and animals still die. And we will, most likely, hear gamekeepers lamenting that a ban on humane cable restraints would be “devastating” to their livelihoods, claiming that it will also mean a “crippling blow” to biodiversity and particularly devastating for ground-nesting birds such as the Curlew, a now endangered shorebird which has been hard hit by development of its lowland breeding sites and coastal wintering sites. The 'ground nesting' species gamekeepers are of course really concerned about are grouse, pheasants and partridges. Scotland, Wales and Guernsey weren't fooled by such narratives. It's high time for the Labour government to stick to its promise and draw up its own legislation to ban snares once and for all.   SHARE     LIKE COMMENT RESTACK   © 2024 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ  Unsubscribe

FROM BUGLIFE — ITS THE SMALL THAT MATTERS

 

Dear John Welcome to the November edition of Buglife's e-newsletter, BugBytes! Keeping you up to date with invertebrate news, interesting snippets of information and so much more. There's a lot happening in the world in general, the world of Buglife and also in the world of invertebrates. We've been celebrating creatives, fundraiser and campaigners this month across our socials - did you join us?     Join us and defend the Middlewick Ranges Over the years our supporters and followers have helped us, partners and communities to save important sites not just for invertebrates, but wildlife in general and local people. Earlier this month ago our coalition of wildlife and community organisations launched a Crowd Justice appeal to fund the costs of legal and expert advice, to challenge the Middlewick Ranges proposals.    In less than a week we achieved our £10,000 target - a huge thank you to everyone who pledged, liked and shared. This is testament to how strongly people all around the country feel about protecting the special wildlife and habitats of Middlewick Ranges. Every action helps, increases our reach, puts the campaign in front of more people and will help us defend the Middlewick Ranges! In response to achieving our initial target, we have set a new goal of raising £20,000. Why have we done this? Well, quite simply, the more funds we can raise, the better prepared to challenge the decisions that threaten the Middlewick Ranges. With £20,000 we could secure even more support from specialist solicitors and barristers who are experienced in legal proceedings and expert advisors to review planning documents. Please help us Save Middlewick Ranges, by supporting our appeal   Defend the Middlewick Ranges   Useful to know: Whatever money we raise will go towards our ongoing efforts to save Middlewick Ranges.  In addition to our Crowd Justice appeal we also have a live petition which has been signed by more than 17,000 people to date! Thank you to every single person who has shared, signed and pledged; your efforts ensure that our Defend the Wick campaign has had an incredible reach so far and one of Essex’s best loved wildlife sites stands a chance of being protected.    Sign the petition   Curtains for Light Pollution 2024 Prize Draw Winner. Earlier this year we launched Curtains for Light Pollution, asking everyone to pledge to close their curtains and blinds when they turn on their indoor lights. A fantastic number of supporters have made the pledge so far, and we're delighted to share that our 2024 prize draw winner is Susanne Hurley from Hampshire. Congratulations Susanne! Susanne shared here reasons for making the pledge: “I made the pledge to switch off unnecessary lighting because it is our responsibility as humans, to stop the decline of habitable environments and hopefully enable an improved balance of insect populations”.  Will you join us in keeping the light inside and help to Nurture the Night Shift?   Find out more and make your pledge 12 days of Giving... We could receive £1000 with your help as part of Benefact Group's 12 Days of Giving. 12 Days of Giving is Benefact Group's festive final phase of Movement for Good 2024. In December, they’ll be giving 120 charities £1,000 each over 12 days. You can nominate as many charities as you like - it's one nomination per charity per person. So, please click the link below & nominate Buglife and Buglife Scotland!  Nominations from previous years don't roll over, so if you have previously nominated Buglife please do pop on over and do it again. Nominate Buglife & Buglife Scotland   Did you join us in the Mediterranean...? Mediterranean?  Yes, Mediterranean!  We've not gone mad (honest), we're talking beetles. Despite the recent cold snap it might surprise you to know that it's the perfect time of year to see the Mediterranean Oil Beetle (Meloe mediterraneus) with partnership project Life on the Edge. This month our Life on the Edge Conservation Officer, Sam, joined forces with Devon Entomologist, John Walters to spread the oil beetle love and promote a little Citizen Science. Oil beetles are rather strange-looking beetles, their large abdomens protruding from under short elytra (wing cases) – they have been described as looking like someone whose waistcoat won’t button up! Partnership project, Life on the Edge, is encouraging greater awareness of three of the UK's five native species; the Short-necked Oil Beetle (Meloe brevicollis), the Black Oil Beetle (Meloe proscarabaeus), and the Mediterranean Oil Beetle. Whilst Short-necked and Black Oil Beetles are more likely to be seen in the spring/summer the Mediterranean Oil Beetle (despite its name) is nocturnally active and can be found from September to April on coastal grasslands. Once thought extinct in the UK, the Mediterranean Oil Beetle was rediscovered by a Buglife project in 2012; this was the first UK sighting for over 100 years! Want to know more about oil beetles? Head on over to our Bug Directory   Visit the Buglife Bug Directory   Mediterranean Oil Beetle (Meloe mediterraneus) © John Walters   #ICYMI ~ Do "bugs" have brains? And what exactly is a brain anyway...? We're lucky to be supported by a host fantastic people in a variety of ways, one of those ways is via guest blogs. Our latest guest blog was written by Mark Millan, a neuroscientist specialising in the study and improved treatment of disorders of the brain. Following on from our blog “From Bugs to Brains.…and….From Green Spaces to Better Mental Well-Being” early last year, we are joined by Mark once again, this time to explore whether bugs have brains.   Read Mark's blog Narrow-headed Ant (Formica exsecta) © Gus Jones #ICYMI ~ Insect Migration (Part 2)... October saw us celebrating World Migratory Bird Day, which this year focused on the importance of insects to migratory birds, and was highlighting concerns related to decreasing populations of insects. Following on from this Buglife Cymru Natur am Byth Scarce Yellow Sally Conservation Officer, Sarah, has written a short two part blog series on insect migration.  Join her as she shares a story of migration, featuring a Marmalade Hoverfly (Eipisyrphus balteatus) from her garden in Wales, in Part 2.   Insect Migration (Part 2) Marmalade Hoverfly (Eipisyrphus balteatus) © Will Hawkes   Upcoming Events Tuesday 3 December ~ Plants for Pollinators: Using DNA to Explore Relationships in Gardens with The Biological Recording Company (Online) Thursday 5 December ~ Christmas Tree and Scrub Removal Day with Buglife Scotland (Limerigg, Scotland) Thursday 5 December ~ The Ugly Bug Winter Darg Ball with Klub Obskura (Kingston, London) Wednesday 11 December ~ Walk the Wick! (Canvey Wick, Essex) Wednesday 11 December ~ Invertebrate Study Day with The Biological Recording Company (Natural History Museum, London) Monday 16 December ~ Tiny Midges, Devastating Diseases with The Biological Recording Company (Online) Monday 30 December ~ Bumblebees of the UK Part 1 with The Biological Recording Company (Online) Tuesday 7 January ~ How Many Moths and Butterflies? The Importance of Taxonomy with The Biological Recording Company (Online)   Keep up to date with both current and future Buglife events, as well as events from partners and supporters by visiting the Events Page on our website. News in Brief 23 native species conservation projects shortlisted for the Great British Wildlife Restoration 23 native species conservation projects, undertaken by British zoos and aquariums, have been shortlisted for a prestigious national award in recognition of their heroic efforts. The Great British Wildlife Restoration seeks to shine a light on conservation going on all around us, with a winner depending on the votes of Members of Parliament and the House of Lords. Find out more... Great suck-cess! Scottish breeding programme sees first baby leeches born A project to help restore Scotland’s population of Medicinal Leeches has welcomed the arrival of the first babies. Over the past month, twenty of the wriggly juveniles have successfully been hatched at a specially designed facility in Highland Wildlife Park, near Kingussie. The birth of the babies was only possible thanks to pioneering work done in 2023 to identify, capture and breed a group of the leeches which are rare in the UK and especially so in Scotland, where they are only found in three sites. Find out more..   Wildlife charities and firefighters on education drive after fire destroys rare butterfly habitat Wildlife conservationists and firefighters are joining forces to launch an education campaign for young people and the local community after a fire destroyed the habitat of a threatened butterfly. The blaze, which was started in an act of vandalism, devastated an area of wildflower-rich grassland at Stonehaven near Aberdeen. The habitat was a rare breeding ground for the Northern Brown Argus (Aricia artaxerxes). Find out more..      Buglife Shop The Buglife shop is open for all your invertebrate needs, offering more ethical options and ways to support bugs.   Check out our new designs or get in the festive mood with a Buglife classic!  Why not make the most of the extended FREE UK shipping offer in our Teemill storefrom Friday 6 December, ending midnight Sunday 9 December?     So whether you've got Ants in your Pants or your Going At a Snails Pace" by visiting our shop you'll help bugs in the process!   Shop Now And Finally...   Don't forget you can stay up to date with the work of the Buglife team via Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube !  Thank you for your continued interest in and support of our work; together we can save the small things that run the planet! Join Buglife Unsubscribe Company No. 4132695   |   Registered Charity No. 1092293  |  Scottish Charity No.SC040004 Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust is a company limited by guarantee Registered in England at G.06, Allia Future Business Centre, London Road, Peterborough, PE2 8AN

 

 

FROM PROTECT THE WILD — A RESUMEE OF ASSAULTS ON HUNT SABOTEURS BY ‘HIRED THUGS’

 

	Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Wynnstay Hunt using 'dark and dirty tactics' to bully monitors Notorious hunt once again in the news ELIZA EGRET NOV 26   READ IN APP   It's becoming an increasingly common scene - hired thugs employed by hunts to intimidate hunt saboteurs and monitors. The latest group to be targeted is Cheshire Borderland Monitors. They had already experienced various types of harassment over the past couple of hunting seasons, leading to convictions of people associated with the Wynnstay Hunt. In July 2023, a hunt supporter who was filmed performing a Nazi salute pleaded guilty to aggravated harassment. In July 2024, a Wynnstay Hunt security guard was convicted of racial abuse. And as this season progresses, the monitors have been targeted yet again, this time by four other men acting as Wynnstay security. The group has filmed the behaviour of those harassing them. Cheshire Monitors' Lesley is in her seventies. The young masked men surrounded her as Wynnstay hounds hunted, calling her a "silly old c*nt", and telling her to "do as you're told, fuck off...Pussy bastards, every one of ya." One of the thugs said of another monitor, "That prick over there...It's alright, we know where he lives." Police warning The monitors told Protect the Wild that they sent this footage to the police last week, and that Cheshire Rural Crime team then called Wynnstay huntsman Henry Bailey, warning him about the security guards' behaviour. After the call, the monitors noticed a marked difference in harassment on the ground, which they say proves that the men are employed by the Wynnstay. The monitors told Protect the Wild: "This situation whereby a so-called trail hunt has to employ damaged individuals, desperate for quick cash, to throw their weight around at peaceful monitors and sabs who are giving up their spare time and money to save foxes speaks for itself. Trail hunting is a total and utter lie. Always has been and always will be, and the Wynnstay (like hunts nationwide) are clinging onto their minority pastime using dark and dirty tactics." Ian Jones gives a sieg heil nazi salute during a meet of the Wynnstay Hunt. His 'CleanIan' cleaning business is listed on our bloodbusiness website. Violence is the norm The Wynnstay isn't the only hunt that has counted on violent supporters or security guards to 'throw their weight around'. On 6 November, a thug hired by the Cottestmore Hunt pleaded guilty in court. David Fildes faced multiple charges after making life hell for hunt saboteurs. The violence against sabs took place earlier in 2024 and spanned weeks. He will be sentenced in December. In June 2023, Cottesmore Hunt supporter Angela Jarrom pleaded guiltyafter she targeted a hunt saboteur during a hunt meet in October 2022. Jarrom drove at speed at the sab, hitting her from behind before speeding off. And in December and January 2023, South Dorset Hunt (SDH) supporters used extreme violence to target hunt saboteurs and monitors. In the course of just weeks, a 77-year-old hunt monitor from Weymouth Animal Rights was beaten round the head with an iron bar; on 26 December, hunt saboteurs woke up to find 17 of their vehicles’ tyres were slashed; on 12 January, an independent monitor in his seventies was badly bruised when he was hit with metal shot at him from a catapult; and on the same day, SDH supporters threw two murdered foxes into a hunt saboteur’s garden. And then in March 2023, South Dorset Hunt supporter Stewart Masters was found guilty after running down a hunt saboteur from Weymouth Animal Rights with his vehicle. While the Wynnstay, Cottesmore and South Dorset Hunt are all notorious for security guards or supporters committing violent acts, individuals associated with numerous other hunts have been guilty of similar aggression. In January 2023, hunt saboteurs had their tyres slashed by a Grove and Rufford Hunt (GRH) supporter. But the culprit got a nasty shock when a sab pulled off the supporter's balaclava to reveal his identity, and the man was subsequently arrested. In February 2023, an ambulance was called to help a disabled man who said he was attacked by two men on a quad bike. The incident took place during a meet of the Worcestershire Hunt. In August 2023, hunt saboteurs stated that hunt followers “seriously assaulted” two members during a Devon and Somerset Staghounds meet. The attack hospitalised one sab, while a vehicle was smashed up. Support the monitors! If hunts were obeying the law and willing to openly demonstrate that to onlookers, none of this would happen. But hunts are trying to hide what they are doing behind a wall of hired thugs. It takes great courage for monitors to try to save foxes week in, week out, when they are being routinely harassed by violent men. We have huge respect for their bravery, which is why we write about them and offer equipment like camcorders, bodycams and radios to make them safer. Please show your support for Cheshire Borderland Monitors as they continue to stand up to the Wynnstay Hunt and its desperate and aggressive tactics. Donate to the monitors here. Have you checked out our new weekly show yet? Every Sunday we’ll be uploading ‘The Weekly Roundup’ where we unpack all of the latest news and campaigns concerning the protection of British wildlife.  Episode 1 is out now!  Watch it now!   SHARE     LIKE COMMENT RESTACK   © 2024 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ  Unsubscribe