Sir,
In response to your 'Straws in the Wind' column in last Friday's Observer, I have to take issue with the argument regarding the killing of magpies and raptors (birds of prey) to protect other bird species.
This seems to be the same old story and yet another excuse to kill creatures for fun. What to kill next?
Magpies along with crows, rooks, jackdaws, birds of prey, badgers and foxes have long been persecuted by man and used as a scapegoat for the real problem; man's destruction of the countryside.
The survey quoted interviewed just 1,000 people. I wonder if the same company was involved in the false poster campaign that stated '59% say Keep Hunting', where in fact the Countryside Alliance had just added two answers to questions asked of 47% and 12% together. The company was reprimanded over this campaign.
I wasn't surprised to see Simon Hart's name crop up in the article quoting: "many of the assumptions about public opinion are, quite simply wrong." He mentions ground nesting birds; surely man is to blame here too?
His objective, as former South Pembs Hunt Master and prospective Conservative Parliamentary candidate, is simply to bring back the hunting of wild animals for sport.
Name and
address supplied