FROM FRIENDS OF THE EARTH FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL — ITS OUR EARTH MONTH

View in browser Dear John, April marks Earth Month – a chance to renew our commitment to protecting the planet we all share. In a tough news cycle, Earth Month and the arrival of spring brings renewed hope and energy. To celebrate, we’ve teamed up with theprintspace to create Future Blooms – a limited-edition collection of beautiful, nature-inspired art prints. We’re delighted to have works donated by 15 talented and dynamic artists, such as Luke Adam Hawker, Sarah Andersen and Jess Currier, each bringing their unique style to the collection. Their pieces inspire connection with nature and foster optimism for a future where people and planet thrive together. We hope you’ll love browsing the pieces and you enjoy them as much as we do. I'LL BROWSE THE COLLECTION The collection is available to buy for a limited time only, from Thursday 3 April until Sunday 27 April. And as a valued Friends of the Earth supporter, we’re thrilled to offer you exclusive first access to the collection on Wednesday 2 April before it opens to the general public on Thursday. So if you’d like a piece for your home or office, or to give to someone, take a look at the Future Blooms collection now. I'LL BROWSE THE COLLECTION Want to know the best part? These generous artists are donating all profits towards our vital campaigning work – holding the UK government and corporations to account, and protecting nature and justice for all. So in addition to a beautiful new print for your wall, you’ll be supporting Friends of the Earth to bring about positive change for people and planet. We’d be interested to know if you buy a print. Reply to this email with your favourite piece or artist. And if you hang one up, we’d love a photo. Best wishes, Aleanna Supporter Relations Manager, Friends of the Earth PS Remember, your exclusive early access to the Future Blooms collection is only available for 24 hours. Then it will be open to the general public until Sunday 27 April. About us Supporter promise Privacy policy Contact us DONATE This email was sent to spanishjohnedwards@gmail.com Want to change how you receive these emails? Unsubscribe from this list We send communications to our supporters who have opted in to receive emails from us. Friends of the Earth Limited. Reg. No. 01012357. Incorporated in England and Wales. Registered office: Friends of the Earth The Printworks 139 Clapham Road London, SW9 0HP United Kingdom Copyright © Friends of the Earth Limited

WILD JUSTICE TOO EDGY FOR PRIVATE EYE SECOND ADVERT — REALLY — ESTABLISHMENT PRESSURE?

Good morning! We're fans of Private Eye because of its edginess and because it speaks truth to power. That's what Wild Justice tries to do too. So we were keen to run a series of three advertisements in the Eye to raise our profile and attract some new subscribers to this newsletter. Our first advert, on gamebirds, see above, was a cartoon by Edith Pritchett and it attracted lots of comments (although fewer new subscribers than we had hoped). We know that Wild Justice’s full-page advert was passed around in many conservation organisations and indeed in Whitehall. Who knows how many people, including decision-makers, now have a better insight into the vast numbers of non-native gamebirds released into the countryside as a result? We were surprised then, when Private Eye said that it wouldn't run our second and third adverts, especially as they gave no reason at all for this. They knew what they were publishing when they published it but they abruptly changed their minds. How odd! It's as though they were got at. It's as though they gave in to pressure from the shooting industry or some other vested interest. It seems that Wild Justice is too edgy for Private Eye. That's a great disappointment, but also somewhat amusing. Our next advert (another Edith Pritchett cartoon) will be placed elsewhere. It will be soon - and we'll let you know. Wild Justice - too edgy for Private Eye? Private Eye - too establishment for Wild Justice! Thank you, Wild Justice (Directors: Mark Avery, Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay). This is the 233rd Wild Justice newsletter. This email was sent to you because you subscribed to it through the Wild Justice website or through an e-action or a petition where you ticked a box. Thank you. We will only use your personal details to send you the Wild Justice newsletter. We will not give or sell your details to anyone else. You can unsubscribe at any time: there is an unsubscribe button at the foot of this email or you can reply to this email and ask us to remove you from the list (the former will happen immediately, the latter might take a few days). 9 Lawson St Raunds Wellingborough Northants NN9 6NG UNITED KINGDOM Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

GUEST POST FROM TOM ANDERSON VIA PROTECT THE WILD

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more GRAPHIC: Warwickshire Hunt whipper-in convicted under Hunting Act. Benjamin Halsall of the Warwickshire Hunt convicted of hunting a wild mammal with dogs. TOM ANDERSON APR 2 ∙ GUEST POST READ IN APP Benjamin Halsall of the Warwickshire Hunt has been convicted of hunting a wild mammal with dogs in breach of the Hunting Act 2004. 'Whipper-in' Halsall, from Shipton-on-Stour, was found guilty by a District Judge at Coventry Magistrates' Court, after the court was shown footage of the Warwickshire Hunt's hounds ripping up a fox on 9 October 2023. He has been ordered to pay a £1000 fine and £1000 court costs. In a significant move, Warwickshire Hunt Limited was tried for the same offence, but was acquitted. A hunt has rarely been prosecuted as a corporate body by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). However, the District Judge reportedly said that the CPS had not put sufficient evidence forward against the Hunt as a legal entity. Benjamin Halsall convicted - photo via Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs, West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs and the Hunt Saboteurs Association Benjamin Halsall watches as a fox is ripped apart - photo via Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs, West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs and the Hunt Saboteurs Association This is one of several recent convictions of hunt members and supporters. Protect the Wild recently reported on the Blackmore and Sparkvale (BSV) Hunt's Charlie Mayo and Kieron Bashford pleading guilty to obstructing hunt sabs while the BSV was in pursuit of a fox and a few weeks ago former Essex & Suffolk Huntsman (ESH) Sam Staniland plead guilty to three animal cruelty charges under the Animal Welfare Act. Also in the last month, the prosecution of three more ESH huntsmen fell apart after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) failed to properly prepare its case. Fox brutally killed after Halsall drives her toward the hounds On 9 October 2023, according to the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA), Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs (3CHS) and Warwickshire Hunt Saboteurs (WCH) were both out sabbing the Warwickshire Hunt (WH). 3CHS filmed a fox being chased from the woods by the Hunt's hounds. She ran into hunter Benjamin Halsall at the top of Idlicote Hill. Hallsall managed to turn the fox around into the path of the hounds where she was ripped apart. The Warwickshire Hunt's hounds ripped apart a fox, after Benjamin Halsall sent her into their path- photo via Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs, West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs and the Hunt Saboteurs Association The Warwickshire Hunt's hounds rip apart a fox, after Benjamin Halsall sent her into their path- photo via Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs, West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs and the Hunt Saboteurs Association The HSA website published graphic footage of the fox being torn apart, and then Halsall coming and retrieving her body. Sabs tried to save the fox, but were unsuccessful. One sab from 3CHs was thrown to the ground by a member of the hunt. This assault was reported to Warwickshire Police, but the investigation was reportedly halted after the assailant fled the country. Not an isolated incident Halsall's behaviour is all too common for the Warwickshire Hunt. Sabs have gathered evidence of the Hunt chasing 29 foxes and one deer this season alone, in clear breach of the Hunting Act. Sab groups also recorded at least two incidents of the WH interfering with badger setts, in contravention of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. Police attended the scene on no less than 28 occasions. Halsall picks up the dead fox - photo via Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs, West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs and the Hunt Saboteurs Association Halsall picks up the dead fox - photo via Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs, West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs and the Hunt Saboteurs Association CPS failed to make a proper case against Warwickshire Hunt Ltd According to a member of 3CHS who was present in court, the District Judge said that the "court has heard no evidence about who the Warwickshire Hunt Ltd are and what role they played". The judge did accept that the WH were present on the day and had organised the supposed 'trail hunt' in which Halsall was acting as 'whipper-in'. It was also accepted that he was acting as a "representative" of the hunt, albeit on a voluntary basis. The court heard evidence that Halsall had not received adequate training. However, the CPS did not present proper evidence setting out the corporate structure of Warwickshire Hunt Ltd and linking it with the killing of the fox. Neither did they present any evidence about who the directors of Warwickshire Hunt Ltd are. The Hunting Act states that the corporate body is guilty of an offence if it takes place "with the consent or connivance" of at least one officer (ie a director, manager or secretary) of the Hunt. It isn't surprising that the prosecution of Warwickshire Hunt Ltd failed. Warwickshire Police attempt to claw back their reputation Warwickshire Police (WP) put out the following statement about Halsall's conviction: "Last year communities across Warwickshire and the country were deeply saddened when they saw a video on social media showing illegal fox hunting. Officers from our Rural Crime Team worked incredibly hard to gather evidence to build up a robust case to put to the courts." Warwickshire Polivce even released a video statement about the conviction. So why the sudden police enthusiasm for prosecuting hunt members? In Protect the Wild's opinion this 'copaganda' has everything to do with repairing the force's damaged reputation after it was widely criticised for its close relationship with the Warwickshire Hunt. In fact, WP was recently forced to release a secret Protocol from the 2023/4 hunting season showing that the police had agreed to tell the Hunt every time they intended to turn up at any of their meets, a move tantamount to promising to tell a burglar before attempting to catch him in the act of robbing a house. The signing of the agreement coincided with the dropping of a Community Protection Notice (CPN) issued to WH. Full details of Warwickshire Police's secret agreement with WH can be found here. When we contacted WP about the disclosure of the Protocol, they pointed us to their press release about the conviction of Halsall - suggesting strongly that the enthusiastic police press work is part of a PR strategy to rebuild public trust after the embarrassing release of the Protocol. "Wildife is being killed in front of our eyes” A spokesperson for Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs made the following comment to the HSA about Halsall's conviction: “Three Counties were there that day supporting West Midlands Hunt Sabs. The Warwickshire hunt blatantly and deliberately hunted this fox which ended with them being ripped apart by the hounds. Witnessing an act of such horrific cruelty so close was deeply distressing. Hunting is still happening week in week out and wildlife is being killed in front of our eyes” A spokesperson for West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs commented to the HSA: “This confirms what we have been saying for a long time – the Warwickshire Hunt are regularly illegally hunting and killing foxes. They are operating as an organised crime group. It’s clear that foxes are still being hunted and killed 20 years after the Hunting Act was originally brought in. A £2000 fine is clearly not enough of a deterrent. The government needs to fulfil its promise to strengthen the Hunting Act.” The Hunt Saboteurs Association added: “Hunt saboteurs are the only ones stepping in to try and save foxes’ lives, and gather the evidence needed to bring cases to court. Without their bravery, foxes would be killed every week with no accountability. The courage and determination of these individuals highlights the need for stronger wildlife protections and ensures that these crimes don’t go unnoticed. It’s because of them that the fight to end fox hunting remains in the public eye and justice continues to be pursued.” Protect the Wild strongly agrees that a fine isn't gonna stop a hunt from menacing Warwickshire's wildlife. We need direct action to save lives, coupled with a campaign to push Labour to keep their promise and implement a workable ban on trail hunting. Sign our petition for a real ban on the hunting of mammals here. Featured images via Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs, West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs and the Hunt Saboteurs Association Check out West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs' website, and donate to support their work. Support Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs, and make a donation to help them continue their work. Check out the Hunt Saboteurs Association website. Read the secret protocol that Warwickshire Police didn’t want anyone to see. See West Midlands Hunt Saboteur’s statement on Warwickshire Police's complicity with the Warwickshire hunt, on the Network for Police Monitoring website. A guest post by Tom Anderson Journalist for Protect the Wild Subscribe to Tom SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM BUG LIFE

Header Will Hawkes Dear John Welcome to the March edition of Buglife's e-newsletter, BugBytes! Keeping you up to date with invertebrate news, interesting snippets of information and so much more. This month, we bring you lots of exciting opportunities for the young bug lovers in your lives, fascinating solitary bee discoveries, great events and an update on our Winter Appeal. We hope you enjoy, thank you for your ongoing interest and support of our work! Thank you for your support! Our Winter GiveMatch Appeal closed at the end of February and we're delighted to share that together we raised more than £20,000 for bugs! We depend on your support to continue protecting and championing a safe and secure future for invertebrates – they are essential to life as we know it. Thank you, as always, for your unwavering commitment and support. BugBytes Image - Winter Appeal Become a Citizen Scientist this spring! Be a citizen scientist (1) It's a brilliant time to explore the great outdoors, spend time with family & become a Citizen Scientist, if you aren't already! There are lots of fantastic bug-gy activities to get involved with; check out some of our suggestions below: Bugs Matter ~ Will lack of insects be a hot topic again this year? There are a number of ways you can help support anecdotal discussion with science and data, starting with our very own Bugs Matter! (open May until 30 September). Search for the Strandline Beetle ~ Heading to the beach in the South West? Keep your eyes peeled and let us know if you spot one of these strandline scuttlers (open year round). SB Survey Be a BeeWalker ~ if you have a few spare hours every month, want to enjoy a short walk and help monitor the abundance of bumblebees, this is the survey for you! (open March until October) Scottish Oil Beetle Hunt ~ have you spotted a strange looking blue-tinged beetle whilst out walking? Be sure to take a picture and log your sighting (open year round) PoMScheme FIT Counts ~ Help monitor how pollinator populations are changing with PoMScheme FIT counts! With your help data is being gathered on a wide range of flower-visiting insects. All you need is a flower and 15 minutes. (open April until 30 September) POM Just a few of the many great insect related Citizen Science opportunities, surveys and activities running at the moment. All are a fantastic way to learn more, contribute to science, and hopefully aid in discovering what is happening in our natural world. Join the Bug Art Competition this Easter! Calling all creative kids aged 5 to 17! Showcase your artistic skills and win fantastic prizes in the Bug Art Competition, hosted by Wild Finca and The Little Adventures of Erig the Earwig, and supported by Buglife. Sign up now to receive: • A downloadable guide with 'Top Tips' for your bug hunting adventure; • All competition details (including the 3 age groups); • A chance to win a Leica Monovid, The Little Adventures of Erig the Earwig books, Bug Hotels, one-year Buglife family membership, a London In the Wild Book, two CampWild Memberships, and more exciting prizes! Get ready to impress the judges: • Bill Markham, series producer of Disney's 'A Real Bug's Life'; • Ash Whiffin, Curator of Entomology at National Museums Scotland; • Wildlife Kate, nature enthusiast and educator; • Lucy Fleming, illustrator of The Little Adventures of Erig the Earwig; • Luke and Roan of Wild Finca. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to unleash your creativity and explore the fascinating world of bugs with us! Sign up now and let the bug art adventure begin! Find out more and sign up BAC Additional opportunities for young nature lovers Do you know someone aged 12-16 living in England or Wales? Make sure you tell them about Action for Conservation’s FREE Summer Camps! This is an amazing opportunity for young people to: Learn how to take action for nature Discover wildlife Make friends & have fun! Applications close on Monday 5 May 2025! Visit the Action for Conservation website for more information or to download an Application Pack. AFC - SC An Unconventional Home for the Gold-fringed Mason Bee Did you read our recent blog from Buglife Cymru Conservation Officer, Liam Olds, following a recent discovery with regards the Gold-fringed Mason Bee (Osmia aurulenta)? A specialist snail shell-nesting bee, this mason bee is often limited by the abundance and quality of available nests, however, at Castlemartin Range, they appear to have found an unlikely alternative. In June last year, female Gold-fringed Mason Bees were observed entering and exiting ammunition cases with nesting materials. Some of the cases had already been plugged with leaf mastic (chewed-up leaves), suggesting that the bees were using the casings as brood cells. Read more... GfMB © Liam Olds Masters by Research opportunity at the University of York Could this exciting opportunity from the University of York, be just what you are looking for? Assessing the conservation status of wood ants across Europe. This project will involve both collating and evaluating existing published data, and also working with newly collected datasets on wood ant distributions. The new data are being collected as part of the European-wide project MonitAnt, and it will thus be possible for data gaps to be identified and targeted as part of the integration between the Red List assessment process and the data collection. Find out more Upcoming Events Tuesday 1 April ~ Pollinators with the Biological Recording Company (Online) Tuesday 3 April ~ Species Reintroduction – It’s Not Just Beavers with FarmED (Honeydale Farm, Chipping Norton) Wednesday 9 April ~ Walk the Wick! (Canvey Wick, Essex) Wednesday 9 April ~ Wildlife Wednesday: Spring Spotters (Canvey Wick, Essex) Monday 14 April ~ Biodiversity Net Gain and Invertebrates: Are We Getting It Right? with The Biological Recording Company (Online) Tuesday 15 April ~ Using Wildlife Observation Apps with The Biological Recording Company (Online) Wednesday 16 April ~ Wildlife Wednesday: Egg-cellent Adventure (Canvey Wick, Essex) Tuesday 22 April ~ Improving Bee Hotel Design: The Big Bee Hotel Experiment with The Biological Recording Company (Online) Wednesday 23 April ~ Invertebrate Study Day with The Biological Recording Company (NHM, London) Wednesday 23 April ~ Walk the Wick! (Canvey Wick, Essex) 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 UK Pesticides National Action Plan published, finally! Buglife welcomes a new UK National Action Plan on Pesticides which aims for a future of more sustainable pesticide use, and a reduction in risk to invertebrates, but there is plenty of work still to be done. Find out more... Hope remains for rediscovery of Endangered Strandline Beetle The distinctive Strandline Beetle (Eurynebria complanata), known for its beautiful black and sand-coloured patterns, is the focus of renewed conservation efforts during 2025 in South West England. The last recorded sighting of the Strandline Beetle in England was in 2002 at Braunton Burrows in North Devon. Optimistic conservation experts at Buglife are hoping to rediscover the beetle this year. Find out more.. Conservation charities step into set the record straight after PM wrongly claims spiders stopped 15,000 development Wildlife charities have refuted claims made by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer regarding the impact of conservation efforts on housing development in Ebbsfleet. In an editorial for The Telegraph, Sir Keir suggested that plans for 15,000 new homes had been blocked due to the discovery of a colony of critically endangered Distinguished Jumping Spiders (Attulus distinguendus). Find out more... The Grassland Gap Buglife has joined Plantlife and 41 other organisations to call on the UK Government to prioritise grasslands and commit to developing a Grassland Action Plan for England. From mountain pastures to floodplain meadows, grasslands cover more than 40% of land in the UK. They are a huge natural asset; vital for nature and people to thrive, for food production, and to combat climate change. Read the full letter... Buglife Shop The Buglife shop is open for all your invertebrate needs, offering more ethical options and ways to support bugs. Explore our catalogue for great gift ideas and more! From t-shirts to bug hotels, there is something for everyone. Shop Banner-R 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 FR

STAG HUNTING — THE SABOTUERS EXPOSE AGAIN THE CRUELTY OF IT

View this email in your browser Hi, Cruelty And Carve-ups: The Horror Of Spring Stag Hunting We are now several weeks into the Spring Stag Hunting season. As opposed to the trophy hunting of Autumn Stag hunting, Spring Stag hunting is all about the sport of the chase, with a young stag between one and three years old being selected. Without the weight of large antlers, heavy body mass, and the strain of the rut, young stags can run much faster. However they often lack the experience of the older stags, who will use various tricks to hide and throw off their pursuers. The young stag may just straight-line it away in terror, with no plan of where he will go. The large number of riders and followers often end up corralling the stag, giving him no opportunity for any rest. As a result, although the distance covered may be greater, it can actually be over quicker. Studies have proved that deer are not well adapted to run for long periods. Spring stag jumps across the road before being killed and carved up in a field ©WCA Spring stag hunting also sees the largest number of riders and followers as the fox hunting season comes to a close and those participants move to persecuting other animals. There can be over one hundred riders and just as many car followers, all tracking the stag’s every move. It’s a daunting prospect, but there are ways we can help. Our most important tool is our cameras: these can go a long way to curbing the very worst of their behaviour. The simplest aspect being that they are only allowed to use two hounds to hunt the stag. And when they’re being watched they have to stick to that. This severely limits them when it comes to finding the stag when he’s hiding and separating him off from the herd. They have been caught out a number of times with more than two hounds when they think they’re not being watched. Beautiful stag flees from the Quantocks Staghounds. They will also drive at the deer with vehicles, whip them and even manhandle them if they think they can get away with it. We’ve heard some truly horrific stories about what has gone on out there with no one watching. Of course, in the heat of the moment, when the red mist of the kill descends, nothing and no one will stop them getting their kill. But we’ve been there to expose their behaviour. Who will ever forget seeing the young stag laid down defeated in the river at Twitchen Mill before his brains were blown out at close range with a short barrelled shotgun. We all remember the heartbreaking sight of the Yeo Stag swimming for his life, then stood at bay exhausted with blood pouring from his nose. And of course, the stag shot next to the River Barle with a sab in the line of fire. Stag killed in front of Devon County sab, next to River Barle. We weren’t able to save those animals, but they will never be forgotten and each one is another nail in the coffin of stag hunting and can even save future stags’ lives. The fallout from the stag by the Barle is still ongoing and has resulted in at least one other stag being saved from certain death. This came about as the landowner was unhappy with the bad publicity that ensured from the stag’s brutal death and warned the hunt that they would lose access to the land if they made a scene in there again. A year later a young stag was at bay near the same spot, but with several sabs in the vicinity they didn’t dare to shoot him! Of course, they can be sabbed in more direct ways when the opportunity arises, but that is generally rare due to the vast areas they cover. Their own hound control is also abysmal making calling off the dogs in cry very difficult! However sometimes the deer can be diverted towards safety on land where hunting is not allowed. We have also hidden deer from the hunt when we’ve managed to arrive in the area before them and seen deer out in the open. Even if they are eventually found, valuable time has been lost, which is especially important when the days are short! Pitiful: this exhausted spring stag hides his face. He was shot dead moments later. So far this season we have attended three Devon & Somerset Staghounds meets. The first two we were pleased to have helped the stag escape when he entered the sanctuary of League Against Cruel Sports land. However, last Saturday's meet had a sad and shocking outcome. Not only was the stag chased to exhaustion and killed, we then witnessed a brazen carve-up in front of spectators including children, which ended with the huntsman blowing the horn call for a kill as the hounds were thrown pieces of the stag’s body as a reward. On reviewing the footage, we could also see a follower stashing his personal trophy of a piece of the stag’s liver in a plastic bag. Ironically while this was going on, another hunt member was telling us how they were hunting within the law and were taking a blood sample from the stag to test for TB! This was the first time we’d witnessed a carve up, usually they hide well away for it. They obviously wanted to show off in front of the extra attendees from the Tiverton Staghounds, whose hounds are currently out of action with kennel cough. Carve-up: hunt supporter with bagged-up stag liver. Although we are gutted that we were unable to prevent the death of this stag, documenting the barbaric practices and how the law is being brazenly circumvented, is all contributing to the strengthening of the Hunting Act as promised in the labour manifesto. We have no doubt that without the evidence being collected by sabs and monitors, stag hunting would have been overlooked with most people unaware it is even happening. Last year, for the first time ever, the stag hunters ended their season early due to the increasing number of sabs attending as the month went on and more groups became free as their own local hunts finished. We hope for an even bigger attendance this year, so let’s hope we bring about another early end to the season. Please support the brave North Dorset Hunt Sabs in their campaign against stag hunting: paypal.com/NorthDorsetHuntSabs Get involved! Find out how you can be part of our campaign to Strengthen The Hunting Act Take Action Spread the word! Please share our news Share via email Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Logo Copyright (C) 2025 Hunt Saboteurs Association. All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Hunt Saboteurs Association. Our mailing address is: BM HSA, London, WC1N 3XX, U.K. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

FROM PROTECT THE WILD — WILL WE EVER KNOW THE TRUTH ON BADGER CULLING

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Farming Minister's badger cull weak response to our concerns Daniel Zeichner sticking with Defra-appointed bTb review panel we think is clearly pro-cull. PROTECT THE WILD MAR 28 READ IN APP Six weeks ago (on February 16th), Daniel Zeichner, Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), began receiving thousands of emails from signatories to a now-closed petition we had just set up after discovering the existence of a secret government review looking at the latest science on bovine TB (bTB) control with findings due in June. Instead of choosing independent experts, we learned that officials under Minister Daniel Zeichner had filled the panel with many of the same people who have spent years pushing for badger culling. Chair of the panel was Professor Charles Godfray, the Oxford academic whose previous role in the 2018 bTB review directly contributed to the continuation of mass badger killing. Oxfordshire Badger Group called the situation “a real Oxford scandal”, and it sounds to us very much like the ‘sham consultation’ on the badger cull Defra launched in April 2024. We wrote at the time that “We feel strongly that the government has already decided the outcome (to continue killing badgers) and is not interested in responses from individuals (it has already essentially said it will prioritise responses from ‘groups - ie the NFU).” This new ‘review’ sounds essentially similar. How - we asked Mr Zeichner last month - can we expect a panel stacked with pro-cull individuals to ever admit they got it wrong? The Farming Minister’s weak response: badgers In his email to us, Mr Zeichner began by acknowledging that “Defra has recently received a high volume of correspondence about Defra review of bovine tuberculosis (TB), in a campaign led by your organisation.” Good (and thank you to all the supporters who ‘corresponded’). The ‘high volume’ should help Defra realise how under scrutiny it is at the moment and Mr Zeichner would (surely?) frame any response to at least give the impression that he understands how much the public (especially a public motivated by a pro-wildlife organisation like Protect the Wild) loves badgers and is focussed on how this senseless cull is impacting them. Please sign our government petition Not a bit of it. Perhaps we shouldn’t have expected much else (this was an ‘official’ Ministerial response rather than a pitch to wildlife enthusiasts), but Mr Zeichner mentions badgers just three times in his email to us - and all three times it is with reference to culling, the panel, and business interests (for example, “to continue to drive down disease rates to save cattle and farmers’ livelihoods and to end the badger cull by the end of this parliament”). He does mention that he is aware of “the distress many people feel regarding badger culling“, but there is no empathy for the quarter of a million badgers already killed, and no acknowledgement of their protected status or of their importance to natural landscapes and ecosystems. To be frank, we find that unacceptable. The Farming Minister’s weak response: the panel Mr Zeichner’s support for his Defra-appointed panel of pro-cull academics is total. “I asked Defra officials to reconvene a panel of experts to consider whether there’s any substantive new evidence that might affect previous conclusions. I asked Professor Sir Charles Godfray to lead this panel, having previously led the 2018 strategy review, which I recommend all interested parties read. I chose him for his expertise and esteemed standing in the scientific community. He and the other panel members bring diverse knowledge from respected academic institutions, which is reflected in the balanced account of complex issues in the previous review. I do not share your view of the panel, nor do I believe they hold long-standing pro-badger culling positions.” We (respectfully? the jury is out on that…) disagree. The record speaks against Mr Zeichner on this. The group recommended the continuation of culling in 2018 leading to around 150,000 more badger killings. We see no reason why it will not be ‘more of the same’. We ask again, what is the point of a review packed with the same people who dispute or ignore the evidence that culling is ‘ineffective’ and which means that culling can take place for the rest of this decade? After all, as long ago as 2017 ecologist Tom Langton wrote in an article ‘Lies, Damn Lies, and Twisted Statistics” that “a robust reanalysis of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) data [the data on which the badger cull was based] reveals that culling is entirely ineffective” (ironically, ‘ineffective’ was the word Labour used in its own Manifesto to describe the cull it is now prolonging). More recently Tom, veterinarian and Prion Group director Iain McGill, and Born Free’s head of policy and veterinarian Mark Jones, co-authored a hard-hitting report which analyzed the impact of badger culling and cattle controls on bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle in the high-risk area (HRA) of England from 2009 to 2020. Published in March 2022 in VetRecord, the authors found no meaningful effect of badger culling on bTB incidence saying “Badger culling is likely not responsible for initiating the levelling off and downward trend” of herd infections in the HRA. The facts are widely available. As it stands, the make up of this panel looks suspiciously like a weak attempt to pacify the NFU and the farming industry than address the issues. We previously outlined six steps we want to see taken before we will be persuaded of the impartiality of this ‘review panel’ and we repeat them here: 1️⃣ Professor Charles Godfray must step down from the panel. 2️⃣ No Oxford academics should be involved in reviewing their own work. 3️⃣ No panel members should have a history of supporting badger culling. 4️⃣ Minister Zeichner must act decisively and appoint a truly independent review team. 5️⃣ The Chief Veterinary Officer and APHA leadership must be held accountable for their failures. 6️⃣ All badger culling must end—immediately. Please sign our government petition The Farming Minister’s weak response: conclusion Mr Zeichner concludes his email to us saying “I firmly believe the new strategy will mark a significant step-change in approach to tackling this devastating disease, charting a new direction that protects both the farming community and wildlife, and which delivers on the government’s manifesto commitment.” This is the same ‘farming community’ that caused bTb to spread when it ‘restocked’ after foot and mouth. Has continually ignored warnings about biosecurity. And has alienated many in both rural and urban areas by its continual attacks on wildlife and the environment. Yes, we’re fully aware that if government were a hotel, then Protect the Wild would be kept waiting in the lobby while Defra and the NFU would be sharing adjoining suites on the top floor. We also understand that in his role as Farming Minister, Mr Zeichner wants to keep the farming industry onside while trying to sound sympathetic to activists like us. But while yet another review and yet another ‘direction’ might seem like striking some sort of balance, Mr Zeichner should also be aware that the ‘farming community’ will never really back his government and that most pro-wildlife voters already feel substantially let down by it. When it came to power, many of us had hoped for a clear separation between the Labour government and the previous anti-wildlife Tory regime. Many of us have been disappointed. It appears generally supportive of commercial bird shooting, has not been nearly quick enough to ban so-called ‘trail hunting’, and - it seems - is now finding ways to look like it’s ‘doing something’ while protracting the inevitable end of the unpopular - and scientifically unjustifiable - badger cull. If Mr Zeichner (or more likely the officials that would have helped write it) had hoped that his letter to us would come across as moderate and mollify activists like us, he/they are mistaken. The truth is that we are far better informed and far more widely read than Mr Zeichner appreciates. The government must act faster, listen to independent experts like Tom Langton, and instead of using ill-defined phrases like “end the badger cull by the end of this parliament” needs to ditch the review and pledge to end the cull immediately. After the few weeks it has just had forcing through unpopular welfare reforms, this government really needs what friends it has left. And right now its friends are telling it that it needs to do far better, far quicker before any residual goodwill is lost entirely. Download a pdf of Mr Zeichner’s letter here. Adopt a Badger At Protect the Wild we are campaigning relentlessly against badger persecution and the ongoing badger cull using articles like this one, a series of hugely popular animations, and protesting outside Defra HQ itself. By adopting a badger with Protect the Wild you will help fund our efforts to protect badgers and help expose wildlife crimes committed against wild badger populations. As an adopter, not only will you be helping fund vital work, but you will also receive an exclusive Protect the Wild adoption pack including cuddly toy, glossy photo, and an information fact sheet. Please note, in line with many other organisations our adoptions are ‘symbolic’. By adopting an animal you will be supporting our work protecting these animals as a whole rather than one individual. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

DEAR ROAMERS — THE RESULTS ARE IN

Can't see this message? View in a browser   The Results Are In... Dear Roamers, A few weeks ago we launched our first supporter survey, with the aim of getting to know you better, learn more about the access issues you face, and to get your feedback on the direction of the campaign. Several thousand of you responded, so we got a great sample to learn from – as well as lots of helpful comments we’ll be taking on board. Without further ado, we’d like to share some of what we found… WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT YOU Over 50% of you live in the countryside, either in a fully rural area (31%) or a rural town (20.9%). That wasn’t a surprise to us: but it does challenge the claims of critics that access is a ‘townie’ issue being imposed on the countryside. In reality, as our polling suggests, it’s equally (very) popular across urban and rural dwellers alike. The biggest way a ‘right to roam’ would affect your life was removing the anxiety of confrontation when accessing the outdoors (71% selected): there’s sometimes a view that the only people calling for access reform are ‘adventure bros’ – people who are already confident and experienced in the outdoors. This indicates a much more complex picture. Many of you further felt a right to roam law would help unlock new access opportunities in your area (69% selected) and protect or restore access to areas where no explicit rights currently exist (67%). Indeed, nearly half of you (45%) had lost access to an area which had previously enjoyed informal access (a growing trend we call ‘micro-enclosure’), while 60% of you experienced a lack of safe routes to walk or cycle. 40% of you had sadly had an interaction with an aggressive landowner, and most of you had encountered obstructed rights of way (78%) as well as hostile signage (76%). YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE CAMPAIGN Many of you were hugely encouraging and supportive about the efforts of the campaign over the past few years and urge us to keep going! You recognise we’re up against some major opponents, but are glad the campaign is giving expression to the desire for a different kind of countryside. You overwhelmingly agree our primary policy aim is correct (adapting the Scottish model of a default right of responsible access to land and water). Over 75% of you felt this should continue to be our focus, though many were glad we’ve been defending existing rights too. A smaller percentage of you (15%) felt we should stick with the original campaign goal of extending the Countryside and Rights of Way Act to new areas. For more context on why we decided to switch to adapting the Scottish approach, check out our full briefing here. You welcome our efforts to mitigate genuine issues with access (e.g. our work on dog policy) and our collaboration with forward thinking parts of the farming and landowner community through AFFLO. You also wanted to hear more about the behind-the-scenes political efforts (for which: see this recent newsletter with an update from Guy). You also had some useful things to say about ways we might improve:- Our process for getting involved with local groups is a tad clunky and you’d like more ways to get involved in general. We appreciate establishing local groups can be a bit DIY at the moment. There’s a reality to our capacity but we’ll be investigating ways this process can be streamlined. We should say that actions which may seem minor, like writing to your MP and forwarding us the reply, do have a significant cumulative impact. We’ve been able to build a strong pro-access caucus within parliament because of it. You want more Northern events. Our team is now spread evenly across the country with several new local groups up and running in the north of the country, so expect action on this soon (in fact, see below…) You’re split on whether we’re a bit too, well, ‘hippy’ – some of you value the more soulful emphasis on the meaning of access, some of you think it’s potentially offputting to the mainstream. We’ll be aiming our communication efforts at the mainstream this year, while still holding on to the style and spirit which motivates us. Staying focused was another theme which came through: so that’s exactly what we’ll be doing. FINANCIALS Many of you were happy to donate to the campaign but first wanted us to be clearer what donations fund. There’s a brief summary on that at the bottom here (the short answer is: team time, running costs, events). The campaign is primarily funded by small monthly donations from our supporters and runs to pretty tight margins. We do everything we can to keep unnecessary costs down (e.g. we don’t pay for offices and keep a small, lean team). We’re also not the easiest campaign for larger funders to support: so if you can help us keep going, please do! You also wanted more control over your donations – we’ve now set it up so that you’re sent an automatic link when you donate so you can control everything yourself and cancel at any time. We’ve had lots of requests to sell merchandise to raise money. It’s something we’ve thought a lot about and, while we’re loath to put more stuff into the world that might end up in landfill, we are going to experiment with a shop selling the campaign’s popular artwork. We’re making sure this is done to an environmentally high standard. More on that soon. KINDER TRESPASS Apologies to those of you who didn’t receive our recent newsletter about Kinder (there’s an issue with our mailouts we’ve hopefully now resolved). You can read that here. The key information: join us at the annual Kinder trespass swim on April 27th, which you can find out more about here. FOOD IN OUR HANDS For those in the south that weekend, do join our friends at the Landworker’s Alliance on April 26th for ‘Food In Our Hands’, a march calling for the Right to Food and systemic change to our extractive food system. The march will gather from 12pm at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens in London (SE11 5HL). More details here. RIVER ACTION RIVER KIT The fearsome campaigners over at River Action have just released this brilliant River Kit, with advice and tools covering everything you need to start serving as a guardian of your local river. The example of grassroots river campaigners has been central to the vision we outlined in Wild Service, with connection converting to protection all across the country. It’s a fabulous, inspiring resource. Check it out! Wishing you all bluebells and blackthorn blossom, Jon, On behalf of the Right to Roam team Illustration from the chapter on 'Guardianship' in Wild Service (Credit: Nick Hayes) Take Action Visit our social accounts Check out our site   This email was sent from this site. If you no longer wish to receive this email, change your email preferences here.