| Old Codger 2008-02-18, 5:25 pm |
| Duck cull not needed, but backers went ahead
http://tinyurl.com/yq6lar
Duck cull not needed, but backers went ahead
Further to recent press reports, I wish to clarify matters regarding
the slaughter of ruddy ducks on Pearson's Flash on November 1.
Those responsible for the cull in Wigan are Defra, the WWT, the RSPB
and the Wigan Council Labour Group.
All of the Community Action Party and Liberal Democrat council members
voted against the cull.
In the 1970s the white-headed duck was facing extinction in Spain due
to hunting.
However thanks to conservation efforts, including the import of
fertilised white-headed duck eggs from Pakistan, the white-headed duck
population in Spain has recovered substantially from a reported 22 in
1977 to around 5,000 today.
Following some evidence, more than five years ago, of incidents of
ruddy ducks mating with white-headed ducks in Spain and producing
fertile hybrids, Britain agreed to Spanish requests in 2003 for a cull
of ruddy ducks.
There have been reports that the only reason for Britain's agreement
to the slaughter was to comply with British Government instructions
that all requests from the Spanish Government should be acceded to
wherever possible, to reciprocate the Spanish Government's support in
2003 for the British Government's war against Iraq.
During the whole of 2006 only four ruddies and two hybrids were found
and shot in Spain.
There is no evidence that the four ruddies migrated from Britain and
it is more likely that they were from a neighbouring country such as
France. On the contrary the effects of global warming have resulted in
ruddy ducks staying in breeding grounds within Britain.
There is no justification for a cull in Britain and the reasons given
are no longer relevant.
The truth is that certain individuals in Defra, the WWT and the RSPB
are unwilling to risk their careers by acknowledging the changed
circumstances.
Also there is a £3.3m "ruddy duck cull gravy train" rolling and the
beneficiaries are unwilling to get off.
Coun Peter Franzen
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