Let’s Talk About Europe’s Wolf Protection Laws

A dramatic digital artwork depicting five snarling wolves with bared teeth, shown in close-up against a dark, moody background. The wolves have detailed fur rendered in golden-brown and white tones. They appear to be confronting each other aggressively, with their paws extended and bodies positioned on what appears to be gnarled tree branches. The lighting creates a theatrical, Renaissance-style atmosphere with golden highlights contrasting against shadowy areas.

As you may have heard, the Standing Committee of the Berne Convention (an international legal instrument for nature conservation) decided to lower the protection status of wolves. This opens the way to lower their protection status across the EU through the Habitats Directive. The move had been on the cards for over a year, and … Continue reading Let’s Talk About Europe’s Wolf Protection Laws →

Scottish Salmon Industry’s Environmental Nightmare Exposed

An aerial view of an industrial aquaculture operation showing two vessels working at a large circular fish farm pen. The main vessel is painted green and white and appears to be a well boat or service vessel, positioned alongside the fish farm cage. A smaller blue work boat is also visible. The circular fish farm pen is constructed with black floating pipes and netting, with visible water movement/aeration within the pen. The scene is captured from above, showing the vessels and infrastructure clearly against dark water. Photo supplied by and courtesy of Corin Smith. Copyright Corin Smith.

Scotland's salmon farming industry aims to double its production to 300,000-400,000 tonnes by 2030. This ambitious target comes despite a 2018 parliamentary inquiry concluding that expansion shouldn't proceed until environmental and welfare issues are addressed. As we examine the industry more closely, the problems become increasingly apparent, and they're far more serious than most consumers … Continue reading Scottish Salmon Industry’s Environmental Nightmare Exposed →

Conservation Grazing: Balancing Food Production and Biodiversity

Elise Sutton on the left, a smiling woman in outdoor attire with a colourful knit hat, standing next to a large, shaggy-coated Highland cow in a grassy field. Elise is resting her hand on the cow's back. The cow, with impressive curved horns, stands prominently in the centre. The backdrop shows bare trees and a clear sky, suggesting a crisp autumn or winter day on a farm or rural setting.

Conservation grazing is an increasingly popular approach to land management that's catching on across the UK. It's a method that uses livestock to meet conservation objectives, primarily by removing dominant vegetation to allow threatened species of plants, birds and insects to thrive. This technique is becoming more common on nature reserves throughout the country, with … Continue reading Conservation Grazing: Balancing Food Production and Biodiversity →

The Myth of Historic Range in Wolf Conservation

Cover art featuring a stylised, sepia-toned map of a mountainous region with rivers and islands. In the foreground, a detailed illustration of a grey wolf stands prominently. The image is framed by ornate borders with decorative elements in the corners. A parchment-like scroll with indecipherable text is positioned in the upper right corner. The overall aesthetic evokes an old-world, fantasy cartographic style.

As you might know, the European Commission is moving forward with the proposal to lower the protection status of wolves in the EU. This reliably sparks fierce discussions online. Here, I want to focus on a specific element of these discussions: the historic range. The term is used in various contexts, but the underlying argument … Continue reading The Myth of Historic Range in Wolf Conservation →

Hunters for Conservation, Goals and Ambitions

“Hunters are conservationists” or “hunting is conservation” are phrases that we hear so often that they might sound clichéd. I have discussed whether such generalisations are true or not countless times on my podcast. Regardless of your opinion, it is undeniable that hunters and hunting organisations across the world can and do contribute to great … Continue reading Hunters for Conservation, Goals and Ambitions →

Mark Avery’s Reflections – A Book Review

Mark Avery, a prolific author, senior UK conservationist, and independent campaigner, is well-known for writing book reviews on his blog. Those, like me, who read his reviews in search of their next book might be saddened by the fact that it would be awkward for Mark to write a review of his own work. So, … Continue reading Mark Avery’s Reflections – A Book Review →

Are Polar Bears Going Extinct or Are Their Populations Doing Better Than Ever?

Lately, a few listeners sent me links to blogs and videos suggesting that polar bears are thriving, which, some argue, is concealed by environmental groups to avoid undermining public action on climate change. This is something I've heard before, so I decided to do some digging. Disclaimer: I'm not a polar bear biologist, so I'm … Continue reading Are Polar Bears Going Extinct or Are Their Populations Doing Better Than Ever? →

Animal Welfare and the Environment: Is Meat Consumption Still Possible?

Nutrition and meat consumption are probably two of the most controversial subjects on the entire Internet. I’m really not sure how we arrived at this point, but here we are. So, before I share some of my thoughts about these subjects a few disclaimers are due. First, I don’t pretend to have a societal solution … Continue reading Animal Welfare and the Environment: Is Meat Consumption Still Possible? →

Shore Angling for Rays Decades Ago and Now

Recently, several people suggested that in the past decades, it was a rare occurrence for anglers to catch a ray off the beach. The implication was that there was an increased abundance of rays nowadays which I found confusing, knowing the deteriorating state of biodiversity in our seas. So I contacted Declan Quigley, an independent … Continue reading Shore Angling for Rays Decades Ago and Now →

Seal Cull in Ireland

This is something I would like to share with you after recently attending the SeaMonitor-STRAITS conference. I’m predicting that in the coming months, or years perhaps, we'll see a sanctioned seal cull in Ireland. Mark my words! The listeners who have been with me for some time might remember that a few years ago I … Continue reading Seal Cull in Ireland →