COURSES FOR KILLING

COURSES FOR KILLING ADVERTISED BY GAME AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION TRUST

Brexit may be the top story on the ‘political agenda’ and the media are devoting most of their attention to it. Important, of course, to all our lives, and there are other important things out there.

The problem being that most of ‘the stuff’ slips out of sight unless you are an enthusiast - yes, I am one - or an extremist. That's me too, as I have come slowly to the conclusion that we tolerate power by being weak and not having the time or energy to act. Being an extremist is not about violence; it is about protecting what we have that is beautiful. And reacting to those that want to kill our mammals, birds, reptiles and everything else that is at the bottom of the food chain.

I wrote a poem years ago entitled ‘Manscape’. It is about control; how ‘man’ has made our beautiful countryside into patterns that produce food efficiently.

And it is still being done.

The walkers and the ramblers can go ‘ga-ga’ over the wonderful views they are seeing, but it is what is living out there that really matters.

Moorland heather with all the living creatures therein is being burnt from Welsh Mountains, from England’s National Parks (there has to be irony in the title) and to Scottish Grouse Moors. That’s to promote new growth, of course, but the cost to us is massive. More death to everything small and allowing run off and thereby allowing nutrients being sieved out and into rivers. Where is the control? Where is the chastisement to those who do what they want and do what they will?

The last few days we have read about trees being netted to prevent bird nesting so that developers do not commit an offense by disturbing nesting birds. No offence as birds, our birds, have had to pack their bags and go elsewhere. It's absurd and empathizes just how far the human race has come by ignoring the wants of the natural world.

Now I come to courses in how to kill.

A tweet asked the question about the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust and importantly made the point and asked the question. Does it not mean GAME or WILDLIFE or CONSERVATION or what? The TRUST bit is that we can trust the killers to go on doing it. The following courses seem to prove this as in the GWCT training courses.

SNARING COURSE. I have laid snares when in my ‘teens and I soon leant that it is cruel and allows a slow and painful death. There is nothing humane about it. Yet, still it is legal?

GROUSE HEALTH AND DISEASE COURSE. It is reassuring to know that they care about ‘their birds’. We know that ‘factory’ production of birds will cause problems so let's put the cure out there for wildlife to ingest too.

CORVID CONTROL AND VICARIOUS LIABILITY COURSE. Hmmm……what a great title?
This is how we kill Crows, Ravens, and everything that we want to, so that our Grouse chicks, live to be shot by the rich and powerful in the name of sport. It's an un-equal contest so where is the sport?

And now vicarious liability. Being cynical I suspect this will have some focus on avoiding being prosecuted. In other words those that are responsible, escape the law, and a minion can take the wrap.

RODENTICIDE TRAINING DAY. This is about death too, by killing, by poison or do they have humane ways of doing it too?

It has been validated that carcasses in ‘stink- pits’ have been poisoned and left as carrion so that when eaten the hungry animals die too.

I am up-to-date now with killing. Depressed and more angry than before and trying to assess why we have not moved on to a kinder and more considerate society.

In an attempt to be fair I have looked at the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust and the next few lines indicate what they say they do.

“The Trust advises conservationists, farmers and land managers on ways to improve wildlife habitat and enhance the countryside for public benefit. It also lobbies government for agricultural and conservation policies based on science.”

I would be failing if I let them have the last word. Where is the ‘public benefit’ for example? Who gains the most from their activity?. It appears that conservation is for ‘game’ to be shot and anything that predates their precious birds should be eradicated. And if you want to be more convinced then please look at the Raptor Persecution site where death is catalogued.

Over to you. Let's all care together and do something.