Culling fails to stop march of grey squirrels

Sep 26 2009 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

Although the overall objectives of the four main conservation organisations are to deliver red squirrel conservation, they differ in their approaches towards achieving this.

The SOS campaign involves 17 designated red squirrel reserves and community engagement.

But the study says that although SOS’s public awareness raising efforts were important, “it is unclear how increased levels of awareness are translated into increased funding and conservation success on the ground.”

The Forestry Commission, which owns and manages some of the larger red squirrel reserves undertakes and funds habitat management, carrying out grey squirrel control.

The Red Squirrel Protection Partnership’s strategy is the attempted removal of grey squirrels from Northumberland.

Northern Red Squirrels, an umbrella organisation of 45 groups in Northumberland and Cumbria, conducts grey squirrel control and habitat management on a local scale. The study says although the individual aims and approaches of the organisations are well intentioned, efforts are fragmented.

The study’s verdict is that statutory agencies should take a lead and organise a squirrel forum to agree a joined up, co-ordinated strategy with all willing organisations and groups from the North of England, which would include standardised techniques to survey the abundance and distribution of red and grey squirrels.

The study maintains it is not sustainable to target limited public resources at organisations that do not work jointly towards a co-ordinated strategy, and which pursue fundamentally different objectives.

Tony Laws, Natural England’s area manager for the North East, said: “This report will not only help refresh the existing red squirrel conservation work in Northern England but provides a new sense of purpose and provides information on which to base a strong strategy for the future.

“Natural England and the Forestry Commission are working with red squirrel conservation groups to use the findings and recommendations in the report to improve the effectiveness of red squirrel conservation work.

“It is clear that adequate resources are needed, that the work of organisations involved in this work needs greater integration and coordination, and that we need to be better at measuring what has been achieved.”

Richard Pow of The Forestry Commission said: “This is a timely review. The red squirrel is one of our most beautiful native species and an iconic symbol for the North of England.”