RSPB DIRECTOR REJECTS CHARGE THAT CHARITY IS FAILING TO DEFEND WETLANDS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Could charity do more to safeguard Northern Ireland's whooper swans?

SOME 400-plus members attended last year's RSPB annual meeting. As always, the liveliest part of the proceedings was the question-and-answer session. But just eight members were able to participate in the time allotted. The questions and responses have now been published by the organisation. See below.

Alan Parfitt said that he was impressed by the results for the year’s accounts and felt that the RSPB had done very well given the current financial climate and the loss of income other charities had been suffering. He asked for comment regarding the current internal review and subsequent loss of staff.

Mike Clarke (RSPB chief executive) said that the guiding principle was to maintain financial resilience and remain within the agreed range of financial reserve.  He said that the RSPB is very much a people-based organisation, so staff represent a significant part of the organisation’s costs. Over a three-year period, in order to ensure balanced finances, the RSPB was reducing spend, including looking at staff levels, using natural turnover, prioritisation of work and reallocation of resources. The RSPB was also looking at other structural efficiencies which would involve changes in roles. The RSPB was doing everything possible to avoid compulsory redundancies but that may need to be considered as a last resort.  

Bob Coursey asked about State of UK Birds report of the threat to farmland birds and asked why more farmers had not been persuaded to adopt wildlife-friendly methods such as those successfully demonstrated at Hope Farm. 

Martin Harper (RSPB conservative direction)  agreed that the  report highlighted that agriculture was the single most important area of reform to halt the decline in biodiversity. He said that the UK Government has stated that it is determined to restore the losses of the last 50 years and needs to be held to account. Because of the decision to leave the EU, the UK needs to recreate its agriculture and land use policy, including payment schemes for farmers. The amount of support through the agricultural budget has been inadequate to date, so this is a great opportunity to make sure that the UK adopts a future policy that is adequately supported to deliver a reverse in the declines. 

Chris Murphy spoke at length about the protection of wetlands in Northern Ireland, in particular Lough Beg and surrounding areas.  He was highly critical of RSPB Northern Ireland, which he said had an abysmal record and had failed to act to defend the wetlands. He asked the RSPB to seriously consider their role in the scheme to build the A6 road through the wetlands. 

Shaun Thomas (director of UK Countries) said that the RSPB was not opposed to all development but that, where it affects nationally and internationally important sites and species, the organisation was strident in its campaigning. In this case, the RSPB objected to the first and second proposed routes of the A6 and pushed the Northern Ireland government to put mitigation in place to secure the interests of the whooper swan. The government came back with a set of proposals for measures including improved drainage, management and extension of the size of the fields, that the RSPB judged would mitigate the impact of the road and so withdrew its objection.  The decision was based on the fact that there was no scientific evidence that the swan populations will be affected. Further studies would be carried out to monitor the impact and to ensure that the binding mitigation measures are delivered. 

More widely, Mr Thomas took issue with Mr Murphy’s comments and strongly defended the extensive work of the team at RSPB Northern Ireland, including in the Lough Beg area where the strategy involved intensive work to improve the fortunes of waders and some of those species mentioned by Mr Murphy. The team also worked with the NI government to ensure that agri-environment schemes deliver favourable outcomes for curlew, redshank and other species. In 2018, RSPB NI had secured, for the first time, a group of farmers to form a collective agri-environment scheme to have maximum positive impact in the area. 

Mr Thomas said that, while there was always a wish to be able to do more, not only in Northern Ireland, he was confident that the team were doing their utmost to protect this and other special areas. 

Caroline Turner asked for comment on unwelcome developments such as the third runway at Heathrow that threatened homes for wildlife. She suggested that new housing developments should be built around wildlife.

Mike Clarke said he agreed with the sentiments and that the RSPB took the stance of supporting the right developments in the right places and that a strong planning framework to guide decisions was needed. He added that the RSPB works very hard to ensure clear ground rules exist that protect important places for wildlife, while also recognising the growing national housing shortage. He said that it was a core part of what the RSPB does to work with the UK’s biggest housebuilders to ensure that developments are in the right place and done in a way that is both nature-friendly and also creates green space and improve peoples’ quality of life. 

Mr Andrew Coles said  the recent IPCC report was a wake-up call regarding the impact of climate change. One key recommendation was that we should all eat less meat. He asked whether the RSPB would consider joining the “meat free Monday” initiative in its cafes, restaurants, offices and reserves to raise awareness of the crisis and that this simple step can make a big difference.

Martin Harper said it was a good question and that the report highlighted a massive gap between the political response to the crisis and what we need to do to reduce our emissions.

Mr Harper said this had been a very tough week when two dear colleagues had passed away - John Lanchbery, who had been dedicated to shaping policy to tackle climate change, and Roy Taylor, who spent his life on wetland and peatland restoration to store carbon. 

He said he wanted to ensure that their legacy continues through the work of the RSPB and the wider movement, so the RSPB would continue trying to ensure our economy is decarbonised; that any revolution in energy is in harmony with the environment; and that the natural habitats that sequester carbon were protected both here and globally. 

Mr Harper said that we also need to think about the way we consume food, so that this was a fair challenge and he would come back next year with an answer as part of a wider review of the implications of the IPCC report for RSPB policy, practice and communications.

Mr Cox responded that, as a vegetarian, he would hold Mr Harper to that pledge. He agreed that it was of course a matter of personal choice, but that some choice should be about reducing our consumption of meat and dairy products. 

Clive Cohen asked a) whether Nature’s Home could be produced in larger fonts for the benefit of those with eyesight problems; b) having visited Minsmere and finding 2 out of 3 vehicles out of action, whether more disabled vehicles could be provided at reserves, perhaps investing in some at a lower cost, and  c) whether a digest of questions from members be made available each year.

Rebecca Munro (director of fundraising and communications) said the RSPB was committed to ensuring that as many members and supporters as possible have access to the benefits of being part of the RSPB. She confirmed that Nature’s Home is not available in large print but a spoken version is available free of charge on CD for each issue. A digital version is also available along with a monthly podcast by enquiry through Supporter Services.

Regarding accessibility on reserves, Ms Munro said that the RSPB works closely with Birding for All who are experts and advocates for people’s access to wildlife and nature, particularly birds. Guidance has been provided for reserve managers on how to make reserves as accessible as possible, including mobility scooters. She said that due to the nature of the terrain, a level of robustness was required that increased the cost, but that Minsmere was investigating replacement of the two vehicles that were out of action as soon as possible.

Keith Cowieson asked whether, given the success of several reintroductions such as red kite, golden eagle, and white-tailed eagle, the RSPB would consider reciprocating the ‘reaching out’ by Michael Gove, by endorsing the Defra plan for reintroduction of hen harriers to South-west England. Notwithstanding reservations about the brood management element, he said it would be a generous and magnanimous gesture as well as an important part of restoring the region’s native ecosystem, would increase our influence within Defra, and would represent working alongside others.

Mr Harper replied that it is for government to ensure that any reintroduction of hen harrier abides by IUCN guidelines which must include making sure that threats associated with the species have been addressed prior to any release. For hen harriers that would mean that the illegal killing of them, particularly associated with grouse moors would have to stop, and that was a condition that Defra would have to respect. 

Miranda Krestovnikoff (RSPB president) drew the questions to a close with apologies to those who had not been able to ask their question. She urged them to speak to staff or trustees in the break or fill in a question card. 

The Wryneck says: As happens every year, many attendees missed out on the chance to put their questions. This is highly unsatisfactory. In future, the timetable should be rearranged to allow more members the opportunity to ask questions and make comments as a core part of the meeting.