NGO Speaks out on Raptors
28 August 2009
The National Gamekeepers' Organisation has spoken out on national radio about the problems caused for game and wildlife by the now record numbers of many raptors in the British countryside.
NGO spokesman, Alasdair Mitchell, told BBC Radio 4's Farming Today programme this morning that thought must be given to how raptors and wildlife could be managed to co-exist in the future. He cited other parts of Europe where birds of prey can be culled or live trapped and moved, saying that a debate on such techniques was now needed in the UK.
Responding to the recent RSPB Bird Crime Report, Alasdair said that contrary to some news coverage, the RSPB's figures actually showed a decrease in raptor persecution. "We welcome that," he said.
A podcast of the interview can be heard at: