The big Buzzard debate

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Recovering UK raptor populations have reignited the debate between game managers and conservationists about the impact of predation by birds of prey. The UK government’s recent controversial proposal to experiment with controlling Buzzard populations to limit Pheasant predation raised the stakes further. Now, a new paper co-authored by BTO Chairman Professor Ian Newton considers these sensitive political issues and highlights how difficult they are to resolve, given the complexity of the ecological interactions involved. The paper also emphasises the need for policies governing the control of predators to be underpinned by evidence from research.

Download the pdf from Conservation Letters here.

Download the pdf from Conservation Letters here. (PDF, 604.19 KB)

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