Predation-Prey Associations workshop - 4 June

I attended a workshop in Dunkeld, yesterday, that considered Predation-Prey Associations.  It was organised by SNH mainly for their staff, but several members of the Forum were invited to attend.  It was an interesting discussion.  There may be a role for the Forum in facilitating the review of the Predatory Birds Report[1] that the Forum commissioned from BTO in 2005.  This might be an opportunity for the Forum as a whole to satisfy its aspiration to contribute further to the predation debate.

A proposal is under discussion with Scottish Government & SNH about how this might work.  In addition to facilitating the review, I would like to see the Forum commissioned to capture local experience to supplement the scientific evidence and also develop consensus about the interpretation of the revised report.  What does it mean; how can be used to best effect?

An interesting discussion took place about how the interpretation could be communicated to a broad audience and the subject of demonstration events was raised.  I have expended on this idea in a more general post on the Heather Trust Blog.

[1] Park, K.J, Calladine, J. R, Graham, K.E, Stephenson, C.M, & Wernham, C.V. 2005.  The Impacts of Predatory Birds on Waders, songbirds, Gamebirds and Fisheries Interests.  A report by the Centre for Conservation Science for Scotland’s Moorland Forum.