BASC has welcomed a decision by the High Court today which allows Natural England to research whether brood management can improve hen harrier numbers.
The court today dismissed judicial review challenges by the RSPB and Dr Mark Avery into the brood management plan. All seven grounds in the applications were dismissed by Mrs Justice Lang DBE.
Caroline Bedell, BASC’s executive director of conservation, said: “BASC supports the hen harrier recovery programme, of which brood management is a part. This is a commonsense decision by the High Court.
“It’s good news for hen harriers that Natural England has been cleared to licence the testing of brood management to see if it can enhance the conservation of the hen harrier in England.”
Brood management as a conservation tool has been used successfully with other species. It would see chicks raised in captivity and then released into the wild.
ENDS
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