Page 57 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #11
P. 57
W DNEWS
BRITISH WILDLIFE TRUTH OR FICTION?
Hedgehog
headcount Dosealsneed
o hedgehogs fare better in the town tobeshot
Dor the countryside? The answer
might seem obvious, but new research
suggests they are actually more likely to toprotect
live on the edge of urban or suburban
areas than in an agricultural landscape.
The study set out to investigate how
rural hedgehogs were doing in England
and Wales, and its findings suggest Seals are reported to devastate
they are increasingly drawn to human salmon farm stocks, but what are
habitation. “The greater the built
environment, the greater the chance of the alternatives to killing them
finding hedgehogs,” says the paper’s and do they work? Biologist David
lead author Ben Williams. Ainsley reveals the truth.
Williams says farmland may now not
provide sufficient invertebrates (such
as earthworms) for hedgehogs, perhaps THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO. It is cause disturbance,
Producers say
because they are declining as a result of certainly true that seals can damage stress and hearing
the damage
pesticide use. In contrast, urban road nets and kill salmon in Scottish seals cause injuries,” Ainsley
verges – despite the danger posed by waters; salmon producers say they to salmon can says. “And for
busy highways – could offer Britain’s cause “millions of pounds’ worth” be extensive. echo-locating
favourite mammal food and shelter. of damage every year. But they also mammals [such as
The study also revealed that hedgehogs accept that shooting seals should only porpoises], hearing injuries are a death
do less well where badger population be an action of last resort and say they sentence.” One study found that the use
density is higher. “Nationally, our study aspire for it to become unnecessary. of ADDs had excluded porpoises from
found hedgehogs in about 21 per cent They have made progress towards this 87 per cent of a 990km area of sea.
2
of areas surveyed,” Williams says. “We goal in recent years: they say 49 seals Ainsley has submitted a complaint
estimate that if we were to remove all were legally shot in 2017, an 84 per to the European Commission about
badgers from the UK, occupancy would cent reduction on the number in 2011. the use of ADDs because he says
rise to about 32 per cent.” David Ainsley, a marine biologist they contravene both Scottish and
The People’s Trust for Endangered European legislation.
Species (PTES), which co-funded the S Shooting seals would be Scottish Natural Heritage
study along with the British Hedgehog states: “In Scottish
Preservation Society, said the results completely unnecessary inshore waters, it is an
pointed to a “wider land-management were salmon farmers offence to intentionally
issue in our countryside”, affecting both or recklessly kill, injure,
hedgehogs and badgers. JF to use double netting. T capture, disturb or harass
a cetacean.”
FIND OUT MORE The Scottish Salmon
Scientific Reports: nature.com/articles/ who operates a tour-guiding business Producers Organisation (SSPO) says
s41598-018-30130-4 on Scotland’s west coast, says its members adhere to a code of
shooting seals would be completely practice, which recommends the use
unnecessary were salmon farmers to of ‘seal blinds’ (to prevent seals from
You’re more likely
to see hedgehogs use double netting to contain their seeing the fish at the bottom of the
in urban areas than fish, as they do in British Columbia. pens), heavy tensioning of the nets
the countryside. Ainsley believes there is a bigger and ADDs. “The damage seals cause to
issue at stake, however. Many salmon salmon is severe and extensive, killing
farms – 121 out of 172 listed by Marine many by taking single bites out of each
Scotland – routinely use acoustic fish then leaving them to die,” said the
deterrent devices (ADDs), which send SSPO in a statement. JF
out blasts of noise to keep seals away
from fish pens. He says this either DAVID AINSLEY is a marine
damages the hearing of seals and biologist,tour operator,diver and Seal: Chris Gomersall/Alamy; hedgehog: Hugh Clark/FLPA
European protected species such as underwater cameraman.
porpoises, dolphins and whales, or
forces them to abandon whole areas WANT TO COMMENT? Email
because of the noise. “These ADDs can wildlifeletters@immediate.co.uk
November 2018 BBC Wildlife 57
