Wildlife Guardian January 2012

www.league.org.uk

Winter 2012

WILDLIFEGUARDIAN

The demonisationof wild animals

As badger culling hits the headlines again Wildlife Guardian takes a closer look at this much persecuted species

Also inside...League chief executive Joe Duckworth talks about the future

We look back at the League’s history with badgers

And trustee Lawrie Phipps goes hunt monitoring in Malta

Wildlife Guardian Jan 2012_PRINT.indd 1 23/12/11 15:35:33

Chairman’s welcome This will be the last Wildlife Guardian in its present format. Next year we will see some exciting developments at the League, many of which were approved at our recent Trustee meeting. One of them is an entirely new magazine to run in tandem with the future development of our work, nationally, internationally and particularly in the sphere of policing and enforcement.

I have been involved with Wildlife Guardian since I became chair, some 16 years ago, and have served on the editorial board and as editor-in-chief over that period. During this time the magazine has been at the very forefront of journalism within its specialised field and has been recognised as Wildlife Magazine of the Year by the BBC. That was a very proud moment for all of us.

The new magazine will publish a blend of campaigning and wider news stories and the trustees will play a central part in contributing to the content of this publication. We will, of course, be looking for stories from all of you, so please keep us informed as to what is happening around where you live. We are also very keen to hear what you would like from the new magazine so please do get in touch to let us know your thoughts.

It was a great honour to be offered the presidency of this amazing organisation a few months ago and although I will be handing the chair over to other, capable hands after all these years, I will be able to stay involved from my new position. More on that another time...

A vibrant, readable and cutting edge magazine has always been very close to my heart and I am confident that as you say farewell to this old friend, you will be more than happy to meet the new one.

Have a happy Christmas and a healthy new year.

Professor John Cooper QCChairman

LEAGUE AGAINST CRUEL SPORTS

2 WILDLIFE GUARDIAN t.01483 524250 www.league.org.uk

WG This issueWinter 2012

Page 3 Operation Meles

Page 4 Joe Duckworth - A man with a plan

Page 6 The history of badgers

Page 7 Have your say about the League

Page 8 Wildlife persecution

Editor-in-chiefProfessor John Cooper QC

EditorLouise Robertson

ContributorsChristina Bengston Joshua KaileJoe Duckworth Clive NancarrowMary Friel Liam RafteryIan Hutchinson

Published byThe League Against Cruel SportsNew Sparling HouseHolloway HillGodalming Surrey GU7 1QZ

Registered CharityNo. 1095234


SUBHEAD

t.01483 524250 www.league.org.uk WILDLIFE GUARDIAN 3

DISMAY AS BADGER CULL GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT


Dismay as badger cull given the green light

ACTNOW>There are lots of ways you can help campaign against the cull including writing a letter to your local paper and contacting your MP asking them to voice your concerns over the cull.

To support the League’s campaign to prevent the culls going ahead visit our website at www.league.org.uk.

Operation MelesBadgers are subjected to horrifi c cruelty through baiting, sett diggingand snaring. As this special report for Wildlife Guardian by the UK’s crime prevention lead for Operation Meles, Ian Hutchinson reveals, not a single day passed in 2009/10 without a badger somewhere in the UK being persecuted. Operation Meles is a UK wide initiative to improve the reporting and recording of crimes against badgers and their setts.

The fi ght against badger persecution is moving forwards and like any

other type of criminal investigation has to be backed by robust intelligence indicating trends in types of offences occurring and identifying possible perpetrators. This UK wide multi-partnership operation refl ects both the need to ensure accurate recording and the effective investigation of reported incidents. Already the recording aspect of the operation has shown far more badger incidents are being reported than was initially anticipated and this is now being stored and analysed at the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

During 2009 and 2010 a total of 842 incidents were reported. Every day somewhere in the UK badgers are being persecuted.

243 incidents of badger fi ghting were reported, which included both baiting and digging of setts. When confronted with a dug sett we can only assume that the criminals were attempting to or had taken badgers from the sett. Further incidents included, snaring, poisoning, shooting and the wilful killing of badgers.

Operation Meles refl ects the need for a standardised response when members of the public report incidents and the operation is working towards a standard operating procedure which will come into play whenever an alleged crime takes place and is reported to the authorities. Anyone who is unfortunate enough to be confronted with a badger crime is asked to report the incident as soon as possible to the Police or an animal welfare charity, such as the League. But a word of warning here, do not approach perpetrators as many have clear associations with other types of criminality including violent behaviour.

Although all aspects of badger persecution fall within the remit of the operation and all manner of incidents of badger persecutionare reported and recorded, the initial targets are badger baitersand sett diggers. It is hoped that as the operation gathers momentum it will collect suffi cient reliable information to identify trends and individuals who can, with the help of other partners, be targeted with a view to detection and prosecution.

decision taken to appease the few who shout the loudest but sadly it will do very little to address the real problem.”

The League will be working with partner organisations to oppose the cull.

ACTNOW> Sett blocking is common around hunting country when setts are blocked to prevent foxes going to ground. This is illegal and every incident, even if it is the same sett, should be reported to the police and the League’s Crimewatch number on 01483 524250.

The League is urging supporters not to give up hope of halting a badger cull following a government announcement in December to push ahead with trials.

Badgers will be culled under license in parts of south west England in an effort to prevent the spread of bovine TB. The cull will be paid for by farmers and allows for the shooting of badgers which the League believes will result in serious welfare problems.

It is estimated the cost of policing the trials will amount to a staggering £80 million. The League believes the government should be using every available resource to produce fully functional vaccines for both badgers and cattle as a long term, effective solution. Evidence clearly shows that culling is not an adequate measure in preventing the spread of bovine TB.

League chief executive Joe Duckworth called the decision “cowardly and misguided” and said: “The government has failed to act appropriately on this issue and in doing so has ignored the science, public opinion and past mistakes. This is a cowardly



Joe Duckworth - a man with a plan

Earlier this year you cycled around the coast of Britain. What was your motivation for doing this?

As my friends and colleagues will testify I’m a very keen cyclist! I’ve taken part in lots of races and I usually cycle to and from work. Cycling around Britain is something I’ve wanted to do all my life and I’m delighted I fi nally got the chance to do it. I was also able to raise valuable funds for the League’s Dog Fighting campaign, which helped spur me on when the going got tough.

It must have been very tough. Do you think this fi ghting spirit will be useful in your new job?

I think it’s absolutely essential. Wildlife crime is a huge problem in this country and there are no easy solutions. Humans are capable of doing some truly horrifi c things to animals. As long as there are people out there who break the law we’ll be fi ghting to catch them.

How have you found your fi rst six months at the League?

Working at the League has been everything I hoped it would be and more. The staff and trustees are such a talented and professional bunch of people. It has been an absolute pleasure working with them and I’m really excited about the direction we are moving in and steering the League to enable it to do even bigger and better things.

What fi rst attracted you to the job?

As soon as I saw this job advertised I knew I wanted it. My background is in local government but I’ve had a lifelong interest in animal welfare. I’m delighted to have this opportunity to transfer my professional skills into an area in which I have a true passion.

How do you anticipate the League will evolve over the next few years?

Over the next twelve months we will be investing in the enforcement side of our work. We are already the lead organisation working with the police to enforce the Hunting Act and we will be extending this to cover all areas of wildlife crime and dog fi ghting. The aim is to have more investigators on the ground throughout the whole of the UK to tackle wildlife crime.

The League recently launched a £1million campaign against wildlife crime. What will this involve?

As I mentioned the League is planning to signifi cantly increase its investigation and enforcement arm. We want to hire more staff, buy more cameras and catch as many criminals as we can.Combating illegal hunting is the League’s bread and butter but we want to fi ght against all forms of cruelty to wildlife. We mustn’t also forget that wildlife criminals often break a multitude of different laws. They might go hunting on a Saturday and poaching on a Sunday, for example.


Anyone who works at the League or who has met our new chief executive will testify to the enthusiasm, passion and professionalism Joe Duckworth has brought to the charity. Following the retirement of Douglas Batchelor last year, Joe came to Godalming bringing with him a whirlwind of ideas, plans and an overall vision for the League.

His career started as an academic before spending several years working as a trade union offi cial. He then moved into local government and was the chief executive of some leading councils. His family have always been involved in practical animal welfare work and they currently have seven rescue animals living with them.

Joe hasn’t wasted any time in the last six monthsputting his plans into action, but the League’s chairman Professor John Cooper QC managed to get him to stay still long enough to ask him all about his ideas for the League and why he’s the man for the job.

“ Working at the League has been everything I hoped it would be and more. The staff and trustees are such a talented and professional bunch of people”.


And their criminality isn’t necessarily restricted to wildlife...

That’s absolutely right. The League receives countless calls from members of the public about issues such as ‘hunt havoc.’ This includes hunt hounds running amok in people’s gardens, attacking domestic pets and straying onto roads and railways. We also receive calls complaining of bullying and intimidation tactics from huntsmen. This is all completely unacceptable.

What should members of the public do if they have any information on possible wildlife crime?

The League runs a confi dential Crimewatch service through which members of the public can contact us with information on wildlife crime and dog fi ghting. The number is 01483 524250. All calls are totally confi dential and information is fed into our intelligence system which we believe is the most advanced in our fi eld.

The League has worked closely with police forces across Britain to help enforce the Hunting Act. How will you expand and strengthen this relationship?

You are right that the League has forged very good relationships with police forces across the UK. With every passing year we are seeing an increased determination amongst police forces to tackle wildlife crime. Last autumn we hosted a visit to our offi ces from Chief Constable Richard Crompton - the man charged with national responsibility for wildlife crime and rural affairs. This visit resulted in some extremely productive and constructive dialogue.

Will the League be working alongside other animal welfare organisations?

The League enjoys excellent relationships with other animal welfare organisations including the RSPCA, IFAW, RSPB and the Badger Trust. As well as this we work closely with the Scottish SPCA, OneKind and the USPCA in Northern Ireland. Where we can identify an opportunity to make a difference through a partnership approach we will defi nitely consider this.

Which of the League’s campaigns do you most identify with and why?

It is diffi cult to pick out one campaign as I consider them all to be absolutely vital. However I’m deeply concerned by the rise in dog fi ghting in recent years. My work in Local Government fi rst exposed me to the horrifying effects of dog fi ghting and the problem seems to be getting worse and worse. I’m looking forward to working closely with the police, the RSPCA and other organisations to tackle this barbaric activity head on.

Will the League expand its international work?

Over the last few years the League has increased its infl uence outside the UK. As well as campaigning against bullfi ghting we have also taken action against the cruelty of rodeos such as Canada’s Calgary Stampede and fi lmed an expose of the Pamplona Bull Run earlier this year. The League will build on this solid foundation in the years to come.

Any fi nally, do you have any parting words for the readers of Wildlife Guardian?

First of all I’d like to thank you all for supporting the League. We wouldn’t be able to do any of the work we do without your help. I hope that you will all continue to support us as we cross exciting new frontiers. The League is stronger than ever before and the cruel criminals are running out of places to hide.

JOE DUCKWORTH - A MAN WITH A PLAN

“ Working at the League has been everything I hoped it would be and more. The staff and trustees are such a talented and professional bunch of people”.




The history of badgers

The League and its supporters have always been passionately involved in the protection of badgers and while baiting has been illegal since 1835 it was in the 1970s that the League’s campaign to provide badgers and their setts with complete protection was fully launched.

The campaign began with a hard-hitting fi lm entitled ‘No time forMercy’. Screened on national television, the fi lm showed the plightof badgers who were being routinely persecuted by badger baiters and diggers. Despite the Badgers Act 1972 (widely regarded as not providing adequate protection) our supporters continued to patrol areas where setts were located to report any illegal activityto the police. The evidence gathered allowed the League to reveal to policy makers that the badger population had been reduced by a staggering 81% in some areas.

CATCHING & HIGHLIGHTING CASES OF CRUELTY

During the 1980s League supporters and our undercover investigations teams highlighted numerous cases of cruelty to badgers to policy makers and the media. Opinion in parliament began to shift and more and more MPs realised that badgers needed additional protection.

One of the most infl uential cases came in 1984 when the League and the national newspaper the Sunday People published an exposé of known and convicted badger baiters. A video of badger baiting was uncovered and distributed in the media, wildlife authorities and to MPs to highlight the abhorrent cruelty involved in this horrifi c sport. During interviews with convicted baiters the links between badger digging and fox hunting became apparent:

“I’ve done it for about six years and also dug for foxes. I’m a member of the local hunt too. I have dug for badger on many occasions... badger baiting is an art... To me it’s a country sport, just like foxhunting and I see no reason for it to be banned.”Andrew Morecombe, 1984

‘LOOK OUT FOR THE BADGER’ CAMPAIGN

In 1989 the League launched its hugely successful ‘Look out for the Badger’ campaign which involved dangerous undercover operations, lobbying for legislation and scientifi c analysis.

Our undercover operations were quickly successful and two signifi cant badger digging gangs were infi ltrated resulting in a private prosecution brought by the League. The diggers, who were associated with six different hunts, were fi ned heavily by Magistrates and attracted national press publicity.

By this point support in the House of Commons was strong, but despite a petition signed by 200,000 supporters and a Private Members’ Bill introduced by Tony Banks MP to protect badger setts, full protection still seemed a long way off.

It was not until 1991 that a League investigator was to fi lm an event that would come to be the turning point in the campaign to protect one of Britain’s best loved mammals.

THE BUILTH WELLS CASE

Footage revealing fi ve men subjecting three badgers to over half an hour of baiting by dogs, stabbings and blasts from shotguns resulted in a highly publicised private prosecution and an unprecedented jail sentence for the men.

During sentencing the men’s activities were described by the magistrate as barbaric. The League’s footage highlighted to MPs the horrendous cruelty of badger baiting and the need for legislation to be amended to allow custodial sentences to be passed based on the suffering infl icted on the badgers.

ROY HUGHES MP BILL

The League teamed up with a powerful coalition of animal welfare and conservation bodies including; the RSPCA, the Wildlife Trusts, the Badger Trust and WWF to campaign for complete sett protection.

Thanks to the ‘Look out for the Badger’ campaign and the actions of the League’s Vice President, Lord Houghton of Sowerby who battled numerous amendments in the House of Lords, the Badgers Bill received Royal assent on July 25th 1991.

The Badgers Act 1991 became law a week before the start of the fox hunting season. The Act made it illegal for terriers to be sent into; or for foxes to be dug out of badger setts. However it was notuntil 2004, at the end of over 80 years of League campaigning to ban the hunting of wild mammals, that the stopping up of badger setts for the purposes of hunting foxes was made completely illegal and the protection of badgers and of their setts was fi nally complete.


One of the most infl uential cases came in 1984 when the League and the national newspaper the Sunday People published

badger baiters. A video of badger baiting

Thanks to the ‘Look out for the Badger’ campaign and the actions of the League’s Vice President, Lord Houghton of Sowerby who battled numerous amendments in the House of Lords, the Badgers Bill received Royal assent on July 25th 1991.

The Badgers Act 1991 became law a week before the start of the fox hunting season. The Act made it illegal for terriers to be sent into; or for foxes to be dug out of badger setts. However it was notuntil 2004, at the end of over 80 years of League campaigning to ban the hunting of wild mammals, that the stopping up of badger setts for the purposes of hunting foxes was made completely illegal and the protection of badgers and of their setts was fi nally complete.


HAVE YOUR SAY ABOUT THE LEAGUE

Have your say about the LeagueLeague Against Cruel Sports’ supporters are truly animal-centric and have a clear connection with our great British countryside.

Our latest survey of supporters found that just over 70 per cent of you own a pet, well above the national average of one in two households. Not only that, but you have a strong countryside connection with just under half living, working or doing voluntary work with animals there. Even for our supporters who do not live in the countryside it is clear that it is an integral part of your life with regular visits and much leisure time spent enjoying the tranquillity, sites and fresh air of our beautiful rural landscape.

The League is fortunate to have very dedicated long-term supporters all across the UK who on average have been involved with the League for over a decade. Interestingly with the increased use of online media the League is transcending borders. Currently over a quarter of our online audience is from overseas, such as Spain, Portugal, France, Canada and the USA - we are truly becoming a cosmopolitan charity!

From our last supporters survey in 2009 your priorities have remained the same. With over eight in 10 people ranking fox hunting, dog fighting, badger baiting, hare coursing / hunting, stag hunting, cock fighting and bullfighting as the most important campaigns.

Looking beyond specific campaigns run by the League to the overall aims and objectives of the charity you want to see your donations used to stop all cruelty to animals in sport, protect the hunting ban and to educate people about cruelty to animals in sport.

A new element of the 2011 supporters’ survey was to get some feedback on the League’s new website and to find out what our online supporters think. We were delighted to discover that you like the layout of the website and find it easy to navigate through the site. The majority of supporters visit the new website at least once a week to find out information and participate in the latest online petition and campaign action.

In the last two years the League has expanded our use on three main social networking sites; Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Facebook is by far the preferred medium for active online supporters to find out the latest League news and campaign information. Some of our local groups even have their own Facebook page to communicate upcoming events.

We wish to thank all our supporters who took the time to complete a questionnaire and for helping to shape the future direction of the League.

Thank you


We are hugely grateful to League trustee Clive Nancarrow who carried out the 2011 supporter survey for us. We would like to extend our thanks to Clive for giving so generously with his time to provide such detailed information and feedback.

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Wildlife persecutionIt’s not just badgers which face the constant threat of persecution and as a League supporter you will be all too aware of the volume of cruelty inflicted on all sorts of wildlife. League trustee Lawrie Phipps tells Wildlife Guardian about his experience of hunt monitoring of a different kind.

The dawn chorus should not be punctuated by the sound of gunfire. Some mornings in Malta you could be forgiven for thinking that you are in a war zone as the sound of shotguns surrounds you. For the last two autumns I’ve been lucky enough to be able to volunteer with Birdlife Malta at their Raptor Camp and this year I was joined by the League’s head of operations Paul Tillsley and operations officer Ed Shepherd. The objective is simple, and has resonance with one of the League’s own objectives - to monitor illegal hunting and bring those responsible to justice.

Birdlife Malta and its volunteers recorded 405 illegal incidents this autumn. This included 83 incidents of shooting at protected birds. A further 90 protected bird species with gunshot injuries were seen in flight, and 12 shot protected birds were recovered by Birdlife Malta alone. The species targeted include common birds which migrate in large numbers, such as Barn Swallows and Bee-eaters. Even a Blue Rock Thrush, Malta’s national bird, was seen in flight with gunshot damage to feathers. Volunteers also witnessed the shooting of Storks, Herons and Egrets, and birds of prey such as Marsh Harriers, Honey Buzzards, Short-toed Eagles, Kestrels and Falcons. Volunteer monitor, Nicholas Barbara, Birdlife Malta’s conservation and policy officer said: “All this in just the small part of the countryside we are monitoring.

The large number of birds seen this season with gunshot injuries in flight indicates that outside these areas the situation is likely to be much worse.”

It’s not all bad news, on the day that the League investigators Paul and Ed arrived to support Birdlife Malta they were immediately thrown into the deep end with the arrival on the Islands of three White Storks. The birds were juveniles and had been ringed earlier in the year in Hungary. Myself and the two League staff were the first to arrive at the town where the birds had landed on a roof top, and whilst it was clear that a lot of hunters were there watching where the birds might fly to next there was also a lot of people just glad of the opportunity to see such a magnificent species in their town. Two RSPB investigators soon turned up and set up telescopes to watch the birds and pretty soon there was a queue of people wanting to see them close up. The police and the volunteers watched these birds all night and followed them the next morning to the delight of the crowds as they carried on with their migration. Sadly, there were unconfirmed reports that the birds had returned to the Island later the same day as they hit bad weather at sea, and one of them was shot.

Volunteering at Raptor Camp is a bitter sweet experience, seeing so many magnificent birds killed leaves you cold, but when you meet ordinary Maltese People, and read the comments from them on the internet you soon realise that the hunters are a vocal minority. As much as it is the work of Birdlife Malta, it is also the weight of public opinion that is winning the battle for the protection of these birds.


Wildlife Guardian January 2012

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Transcript of Wildlife Guardian January 2012