ANIMAL FORUM

I smell Ogilvie somewhere here!!



Rspb Denies Furtive Moves In Bid To Take Over Islay Wildlife Estate.


(From Aberdeen Press & Journal (UK))

The rspb has denied claims that it went behind the back of the local
community to buy an estate on Islay.

The Press and Journal reported earlier this week that the
1,963-hectare Kinnabus estate, which is renowned for its wildlife, was
to become a new RSPB Scotland Nature Reserve.

But Islay man Ian Mitchell claims: It should be made plain that this
deal was done behind the back of the local community which was
beginning, through the community council, of which I am a member, to
explore the possibility of a buyout.

There are many people on Islay who would like to have bought all or
part of that ground at a lower price than might be paid by a body
subsidised by the lottery and other sources of public money, as the
RSPB is. Mr Mitchell, who lives in Port Ellen, continued: These sort
of deals amount to expropriation of land by the State on an arms
length basis.

They are deeply resented by local people trying to make a living off
the land, without access to lottery funding for land purchases. And
he criticised the RSPBs record on species protection: If birds are
considered more important than people, it should be pointed out that
the RSPBs record on species protection is worse than that of the
local community.

The main species of interest on Kinnabus is choughs, which are one of
the highest management priorities on the RSPBs other reserve on this
island. Mr Mitchell alleges that, in nearly 20 years of ownership,
the RSPB had failed to increase the breeding population beyond a
single pair of choughs, despite increases on neighbouring farms.

Mr Mitchell added: It is beyond dispute that the wildlife of Islay
would fare better if it were left in the hands of the islanders who
have delivered it to the 21st century in such good fettle that the
RSPB want to take control of what is, to them, a public relations gold
mine. A spokesman for the RSPB denied Mr Mitchells claims and said:
We have agreed to buy this land and we have been in extensive
discussions with local people, during which time there has been no
hint of a local community bid for that land.

If there had been a bid planned we would have taken that very
seriously. He added: On all our reserves on Islay the number of
breeding choughs has increased. The Kinnabus site, on the Mull of Oa,
is home to many birds which are in decline in other parts of the
country.

Chough, twite, lapwing, reed bunting, skylark and hen harrier, all of
which are Birds of Conservation Concern, are resident there.

Until now, the rich wildlife of the Mull of Oa has been maintained by
environmentally friendly farming.

The current owner has agreed to sell the land to the RSPB because he
is planning to retire from farming.








--

My greatest speech to the peasants
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em7LWuP0T7Q

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On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:23:34 +0000, Adenoid Hynkel .
wrote:


Dead right! And its a strong smell.

I wonder what he has to say about this.



Angus Macmillan
www.roots-of-blood.org.uk
www.killhunting.org
www.con-servation.org.uk

All truth passes through three stages:
First, it is ridiculed;
Second, it is violently opposed; and
Third, it is accepted as self-evident.
-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)