Understanding Predation Seminar - 3 May 2016

The group session in progress

This seminar was held on 3 May 2016, and 64 people had booked to attend.  I was grateful for SNH's hospitality at Battleby where the auditorium, refreshments and lunch were provided for the seminar.

The seminar was opened by Hugh Dignon, Head of Wildlife Management for the Scottish Government, and Andrew Bachell, Director Policy & Advice for SNH, and both stressed the importance of this project for their own organisations.  There would be support for imaginative, radical thinking and we need to adopt a more sophisticated way to tackle predation issues that moves beyond a single species approach.

James Butler, now working for CSIRO (an Australian research organisation) and Juliette Young (CEH) presented a case study of the development of the Moray Seal Management Plan.  There were similarities with the challenges identified by Understanding Predation in that there was agreement that some control of seals was required but a mechanism had to be found to achieve this.  A more flexible approach to licensing the control of seals, on a local basis, has helped achieve an effective management solution.

Ten proposals for work to apply the Understanding Predation principles were presented by a range of organisations, and seminar participants were formed into cross-sector groups to consider the concepts that had been promoted.   It was agreed that there should be a focus on Waders and the title for a framework to cover future work was agreed: "Developing management prescriptions for the conservation of waders in Scotland". Within this framework, the cross-sector groups were asked to consider: what was required, where it should take place (in general terms) and who should do it.  There was broad agreement, although there was a divergence of opinion on whether a national or local approach should be adopted.

To summarise the discussion, lists of issues were agreed to cover: where any work should take place, the scale, what was required, the constraints and the next steps.  It was agreed that the Project Steering Group should be reconvened to consider and refine these lists, with a view to presenting proposals to the Moorland Forum about how future work should be structured. This approach will also be discussed at the Chairman's Working Group meeting on 6 May 2016.

At the end of the seminar, Bob McIntosh, former Director Environment & Forestry for the Scottish Government, provided his view of the discussion.  He suggested that there was a clear appetite for change and quoted that "if you keep trying to go in the same direction, you will always get to the same destination". 

If we want to reach a different destination, we must be prepared to change direction.

Courage can save Curlew in Scotland - say Gamekeepers

Lapwing chick in managed heather

SGA Press Release- 5 May 2016

Gamekeepers believe a novel conservation collaboration could yet prevent the call of the Curlew from being silenced in Scotland, if bold ideas are translated into concerted action. 

Wading birds have declined alarmingly in this country and Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) warned of the consequences of inaction during its Year of the Wader programme, 2014. A ten year project by GWCT at Otterburn showed birds such as Curlew, Lapwing and Plover produce up to three times more chicks on land where gamekeepers legally manage abundant predators. However, although managed moors are bucking the downward trend, wader number are continuing to crash in Scotland overall and gamekeepers fear losing the call of the Curlew forever.

Scottish Government tasked countryside bodies to work together to address predation affects impacting the survival of waders and other wild birds such as the rare black grouse.

The novel collaboration of environmental, farming, forestry and gamekeeping groups- run by the multi-body Moorland Forum- is combining science with local knowledge; a new conservation approach.

Following a workshop seminar of stakeholders this week at the SNH office at Battleby, the project is now preparing to move towards the best options to save Scotland’s wading birds. And gamekeepers, who have been calling for decisive action for over a decade now, are hopeful the ‘Understanding Predation’ project will finally see a reprieve for the embattled birds.

“There is an acceptance now of a need to move quickly before we lose some of these species. There is also an understanding that what is currently being done is not working,” said the SGA’s Ronnie Kippen, who sits on the project steering group. “Only last year the Curlew was placed on the conservation red-list and without action now, the outlook is not great. The speed of their decline is a major concern.

“What has been new about this project is that it has brought together people often with different views, with a common goal. Importantly, it has given practitioners who manage the land every day an equal right to have their opinions taken seriously, alongside published science.

“Simon Thorp of Moorland Forum, Juliette Young (Centre for Hydrology and Ecology) and Chris Wernham of BTO and the rest of the team deserve thanks in managing this.

“Messing around now with lengthy projects to find results stakeholders already know is not going to save one wader. It will use scarce public resources and, basically, we don’t have time. There needs to be bold decisions now and, if we are going to save our waders, farmers, gamekeepers and shoot operators are all going to have a part to play, as well as scientists.”

The Birds of Conservation Concern report, published in December 2015, placed Europe’s largest wading bird, the Curlew, on the red list as a species of ‘highest conservation concern’.

Red listings are attributed when a bird’s number or range has halved in the UK or if they are considered to be under threat of global extinction.

In 2013, the State of Nature report sounded alarm bells for other waders, with Lapwing and Golden Plover decreasing by 53 and 50 per cent respectively between two study periods, 1968-72 and 2008-2011.

The overwhelming majority of attendees at the Understanding Predation seminar this week acknowledged the current licensing system in Scotland does not offer adequate protection to wading and wild birds during the critical breeding window.  The project steering group will now assess various adaptive management options in a bid to stem the declines before more birds are lost.

Project Review Seminars - numbers 2 & 3

A buzz of activity in Great Glen House, Inverness

The second and third seminars took place in Inverness and Edinburgh on 3 November and 12 November, respectively. As for the first seminar in Perth, both seminars attracted just short of 40 delegates, who represented many different interest groups.

It was a feature of all the seminars that the discussion was lively but respectful, and we have received much positive feedback from delegates. I believe that everyone benefited from discussing what can often be seen as sensitive issues in small, cross-sector groups.

I attended all three seminars and although each had its own character, there was a good buzz around all of them. I think everyone learned something from the experience, and certainly left with a better understanding of what the project is seeking to achieve.

I would like to thank the delegates for attending and contributing so much to the success of the seminars. At the seminars the Research Group was represented by: Steve Redpath, Chris Wernham, Juliette Young, Gill Ainsworth and Mark Wilson and I should congratulate them for delivering three very good seminars. 

Gill Ainsworth gathering opinion in Silvan House, Edinburgh

However, the job is far from done and the next steps will be for the Research Group to complete the full draft of the project report ready for circulation to the Steering Group and the Review Panel on 9 December. Comments will be requested by 6 January 2016, and the final report will then be prepared to be available for circulation on 1 February 2016.

Aileen McLeod, MSP, Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, will launch the report at Battleby on 8 February, and the report will be presented to MSPs at Holyrood, on 25 February 2016.

A vast amount of information has been collected and synthesising this into the final report will be no easy task. However, I believe that the project is developing something of real value and the active engagement by stakeholders is adding a whole new dimension to the work. 

I look forward to being able to promote the final report.

A successful Seminar in Perth

Thirty-eight people attended the first of the three Project Review Seminars, which took place in Perth, on Tuesday, 27 October. 16 different organisations were represented and several private individuals were also present. As a result of this spread of interests the discussion was representative of a wide range of different views.

An introduction to the project was followed by four group discussions that considered a range of questions about predation posed by a facilitator from the Research Group. This gathered a large number of interesting ideas from delegates, which will be used to develop the conclusions from the project. A summary of the issues raised at all three seminars will be included as part of the final project report.

It was notable that the discussion was very positive and there was a real feeling that much could be achieved if better collaboration could be established between different interest groups.  Thanks go to all those who gave up their time to attend this seminar.

There are still a few places at these seminars that will be held in Inverness on Tuesday, 3 November and Edinburgh on12 November. See the flyer for more details. It will be interesting to see how the remaining two seminars compare with this first one.

Briefing for the Project Seminars

A briefing for these seminars has been produced. It is being circulated to delegates ahead of each seminar - see the report that follows this post from the first seminar that took place in Perth.

I recommend this briefing to anyone with an interest in this project.  It is an excellent summary of the information that the project has assembled to date, and it is available to download from the Moorland Forum’s website.

Understanding Predation - Project Review Seminars

The three Project Review Seminars provide another opportunity for stakeholders to provide input to this project and to help shape the final report from the project.

Apply to attend a Review Seminar

The seminars are being held between 10:00 and 15:30 in three locations. Please contact Anne Stoddart if you wish to apply for a place:

• Tuesday, 27th October  -  Dewars Centre, Perth
• Tuesday 3rd November  -  SNH, Great Glen House, Inverness
• Thursday 12th November  -  FCS, Silvan House, Edinburgh

Attendance is free and a light lunch will be provided.

See the flyer for more details

Provisional Programme for the Understanding Predation Seminars

Times		Details
10:00	10:30	Reception & registration
10:30	10:35	Welcome & Introduction to the seminar
10:35	11:05	Project background and findings
11:05	11:10	Plan for rest of the day
11:10	11:40	Group discussion 1 - use of knowledge
11:40	11:45	Tea & coffee available
11:45	12:15	Group discussion 2 - population trends of predators and focal prey
12:15	12:45	Feedback on discussions 1&2 from rapporteurs and discussion
12:45	13:15	Lunch
13:15	13:45	Group discussion 3 - impacts of predation & other drivers
13:45	14:15	Group discussion 4 - management options
14:15	14:45	Feedback from rapporteurs and discussion 2
14:45	15:00	Tea
15:00	15:45	Plenary discussion - building a common future
15:45	16:00	Feedback & Summary

Understanding Predation - Progress Update

Update

It has been an apparently quiet period for the project since the completion of the workshops, at the end of July, but this does not reflect the large amount of work that has been taking place behind the scenes.  

The Research Group has been working flat out to pull together the scientific information for the report and also to sift and collate the vast amount of information that was provided by stakeholders through the questionnaires and workshops.

A working draft of the report has been circulated to the Steering Group and to the independent Review Panel.  This early version of the report will allow these people to gain a feel for the size and shape of the report and comments on this will help with the development of the full draft report, which will be circulated to the project team in early December.

Project Review Seminars

The focus of attention is now shifting to the Project Review Seminars.  These will provide a further opportunity for stakeholders to influence the final report.  We have circulated the flyer to everyone who completed the questionnaire or attended a workshop, but other people will also be welcome to attend.

A Newsletter has been published to provide additional information and this contains links to the flyer that gives details about the seminars, which will be taking place in Perth, on 27 October; in Inverness on 3 November; and in Edinburgh on 12 November.

Project Review Seminars

The involvement of stakeholders is a fundamental part of the Understanding Predation project. The previous post describes the workshops that will be held with a wide range of relevant organisations before the end of June. The next opportunity for input by stakeholders will be three project review seminars that will take place in October and November.

The seminars will consider the initial results from the project, which will be presented in a draft report to the Steering Group, at the end of September. The seminars will provide a chance to revisit interesting findings from both the natural science review and the collation of local ecological knowledge. In particular, the seminars will explore areas of the review where the conclusions from the two information sources differ and the possible reasons for any differences. The conclusions from the seminars will feed into the production of the final report, and the seminars will therefore offer stakeholders a further opportunity to influence the final report.

The seminars will be open to everyone, although it may be necessary to limit numbers to about 40 at each event. This is because the process that will be used during the seminars will be very interactive, and it will not work well with larger numbers of participants. Also, as far as possible, it will be helpful to have approximately even representation across the range of interests in the work at each review seminar.

The dates and locations for the three review seminars have been fixed as:

• Tuesday, 27th October 2015, at The Dewars Centre in Perth;
• Tuesday, 3rd November 2015, at SNH, Great Glen House, Inverness; and
• Thursday, 12th November 2015, at SNH, Silvan House, Corstorphine, Edinburgh.

More details about the three seminars will be published nearer the time, but if anyone is interested in attending, please keep the dates free in diaries and / or use the contact form on the Moorland Forum website to advise the Project’s Administrator about which seminar you would like to attend.