Off the Leash

‘Shortcasts’ are short standalone audio comments and statements from conservationists, campaigners, charities, authors and members of our audience. If it needs to be said – say it here!

Snares. Metal nooses, indiscriminate and cruel. Hundreds of thousands of these primitive devices litter the countryside. Two things about snares: a) most people think they're already banned; b) the only people who support their use are gamekeepers and a few farmers (and lobbyists for the shooting industry of course).

Director of the Scottish charity OneKind (and formerly Head of Investigations at the RSPB) Bob Elliot has had more than his fair share of experience of snares. OneKind operates SnareWatch,  an information-sharing and reporting facility about snaring in the UK, and in the following shortcast Bob is unequivocal about his and OneKind's position on snares: "We've got to ban them - they shouldn't be being used in our countryside - they are causing unnecessary and unjustified suffering." 

• OneKind website and Twitter feed
• SnareWatch Annual Report 2020
• The War on Wildlife Project  Articles on snares

‘Shortcasts’ are short standalone audio comments and statements from conservationists, campaigners, charities, authors and members of our audience. If it needs to be said – say it here!

As the Vegan Society says, "our food system is broken".  Food producers are not rewarded for their work, livestock production is cruel to farmed animals, intensive agriculture is causing biodiversity loss,  and what we eat is fuelling an obesity crisis. Is there an alternative?  Published on the 12th July by The Vegan Society, Planting Value in the Food System presents an ambitious but practical vision for a fully plant-based food system with the ability to help achieve climate targets, reduce the impact on our health service, improve the experiences of farmers and farmworkers, and ultimately save the lives of millions of animals.

'Planting Value' was written by Dr Alex Lockwood,  Senior Lecturer at the University of Sunderland, in consultation with The Vegan Society policy team.  In this shortcast Alex explains the process and thinking behind the report, and the four key elements we should look out for.

There is a real opportunity for deep-rooted change in the way we produce, relate to, and consume food, and to quote Alex from this shortcast, "The Vegan Society is working towards a vision for a food system which not only respects the rights of animals but is also economically and socially just".


Vegan Society  New Report: Planting Value in the Food System
Dr Alex Lockwood on Twitter

‘Shortcasts’ are short standalone audio comments and statements from conservationists, campaigners, charities, authors and members of our audience. If it needs to be said – say it here!

Last month we posted a shortcast by ecologist Tom Langton which discussed a call for evidence made by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (the JNCC) which could lead to the removal of legislative protection for many of the UK's amphibians and reptiles, and which – in Tom’s words - could "allow snake-bashing to become lawful again". 

The following week a short, precise message was sent to the JNCC by a coalition of over 30 non-government organisations (see - Open NGO letter responding to proposed changes to the eligibility criteria for the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981)) which specifically referenced the Quinquennial Review – the process by which every five years an inter-agency group makes recommendations to Defra and the devolved administrations in Great Britain on changes to the schedules (or lists) of protected species.

The joint message included the demand, “We would like to formally request that the Quinquennial Review Group carry out a public consultation on the decision to change the eligibility criteria before proceeding with the planned timetable. We await your response.”

Tom decided to go a bit further and also wrote to the various government bodies concerned to remind them of some of the detail and asking them to be clear about things as soon as possible - by the 26th July to be precise. He also popped in a freedom of information request for the paperwork for good measure.

In his letter, Tom suggested that legal issues are at stake here and that repercussions could be huge. What seems strange is the lack of response from those government bodies. You can imagine it might perhaps take a few days to draft a response, but it’s now been more than two weeks since his letter was sent. Maybe they disagree amongst themselves - or simply don’t know what to do about it….

In this latest shortcast Tom tells us in more detail what his letter said and the asks that he made in it.


Related audio:

• Tom Langton  On the JNCC Proposals (06:33)
• Robyn Murphy   Epetition to the JNCC (03:40)

‘Shortcasts’ are short standalone audio comments and statements from conservationists, campaigners, charities, authors and members of our audience. If it needs to be said – say it here!

For years the National Trust (NT), a charity and one of the country's largest landowners, has allowed so-called 'trail hunting' to take place on its properties. In the lead up to the NT's next AGM in October this year, the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) is urging the Trust's members to vote against licencing 'trail hunting' on National Trust land.

In this shortcast Nick Weston, Head of Campaigns at LACS, explains the situation and what he and LACS would like us all to do.


League Against Cruel Sports  Stop 'trail hunting on National Trust land campaign

The War on Wildlife Project  National Trust and Trail Hunting 101

‘Shortcasts’ are short standalone audio comments and statements from conservationists, campaigners, charities, authors and members of our audience. If it needs to be said – say it here!

Ecologist Robyn Murphy has set up an epetition to help stop the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) downgrading protection for widespread species of amphibian and reptile by removing them from Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Changing criteria to protect endangered species only is a move in the wrong direction.  All reptile and amphibian species need more protection from human activity as populations are struggling.

We have seen a decline in all species for decades. If these changes go ahead, we could see species getting locally wiped out.  Also a potential disease risk as people could sell and transport species.

We don’t want them all to become endangered in the first place. 

Prevention is the best cure

• Petition:   Keep all of our widespread species of amphibian and reptile from Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 

(Also listen to ecologist and founder of Froglife Tom Langton discussing the JNCC's ludicrous proposals in a previous Guest Off the Leash )

Our tenth episode opens with a rolling discussion and personal anecdotes that take in unprecedented heat in North America, visiting Exxon-Mobil's HQ in Houston, peak air travel, commuting, the Eye of Fire, and the climate emergency. Charlie takes a chunk out of BBC Bitesize for writing that there were 'benefits' to climate chaos. In Hero and Villian we applaud Emily Williamson (and the Plumage Act) and Greenpeace UK for uncovering Exxon-Mobil's lobbying of the US government, and we take aim at Exxon-Mobil, Phil 'the Gurning Deer Killer' Spencer, and the Common Agricultural Policy for helping destroy Europe's biodiversity.  In 60 Second Sell (or should that be '60 Second Shoutout'?) we hear from ecologist Robyn Murphy about her petition to the JNCC (about their proposal to remove protection from widespread species of reptiles and amphibians) and flag up 10-year-old Bailey Woozeer's petition to introduce a yearly fundraising day for animals in school.

Byline Times | Dominic Dyer   The Government Must Face Down Big Business & Put Nature First

Channel Four   Revealed: ExxonMobil’s lobbying war on climate change legislation

CNN Video   See massive 'eye of fire' burn in Gulf of Mexico

The Guardian   BBC removes Bitesize page on climate change ‘benefits’ after backlash

BBC News    Emily Williamson: Centenary of victory to be marked with statue

Emily Williamson   A statue for Emily Williamson

Greenpeace UK newsletter   Unearthed

The Sun   Location, Location, Location viewers switch off as ‘psycho’ trophy hunting vid of host Phil Spencer surfaces

BirdLife Europe  EU countries take giant step towards killing nature

Robyn Murphy petition  Keep all widespread species of amphibian and reptile in S5 & 8 of the WCA 1981

Bailey Woozeer petition   Introduce a yearly fundraising day for animals in schools

  ‘Shortcasts’ are short standalone audio comments and statements from conservationists, campaigners, charities, authors and members of our audience. If it needs to be said – say it here!

Journalist Glen Black is a freelance writer interested in bloodsports, wildlife defence and land justice. He set up The Citro towards the end of last year.

To quote from The Citro's website, "We cover news and issues from those on the frontline of the fights against wildlife persecution. The Citro’s aim is to communicate an authentic and comprehensive voice from hunt saboteurs, anti-bloodsport campaigners and other wildlife advocates. Everyone involved has connections with or direct experience of these struggles. "

The Citro website and Twitter feed

‘Shortcasts’ are short standalone audio comments and statements from conservationists, campaigners, charities, authors and members of our audience. If it needs to be said – say it here!

Dr Peter Li is China Policy Specialist at Humane Society International,  associate professor at the University of Houston-Downtown, and an expert on both the Yulin 'Festival' and the dog and cat meat trade.  His research focuses on China's animal welfare policies and the country's animal protection movement at a time of rapid social transformation.  Dr Li has published articles on China's wildlife law enforcement, culture and human-animal relations, factory farming and animal welfare, as well as wildlife farming and cruelty .

In this shortcast Dr Li strikes a notably optimistic tone, summing up questions from the media that he's been answering  in the run-up to Yulin

• Please note, this shortcast does NOT contain graphic details and should be suitable for most listeners.

Humane Society International  Dog Meat Trade

In our ninth episode, we talk about the decision by clothing manufacturer Canada Goose to stop using (Coyote) fur in its products. We discuss (in deliberately non-graphic terms) the dog meat trade and the Yulin 'festival' and focus on the role of activists in Asia:  our first guest audio comes from Dr Peter Li, China Policy Specialist at Humane Society International, who has visited Yulin many times and offers an optimistic perspective.  Charlie discusses grouse moor licencing - declaring it as 'licencing slaughter'. In Hero and Villian, Dominic nominates campaigner Emily Lawrence and the campaigners who pressured Canada Goose,  Charlie nominates activists on the ground in East Asia. For our villains, Dominic tears into the UK Fur Industry, and Charlie slates Veolia UK for destroying precious nesting habitat next to Rainham Marshes. Finally, we highlight an event at Vale Wildlife Hospital, the War on Wildlife Project's management of an 'equipment fund' for monitors on the ground tackling the 'war on wildlife, and discuss our own ‘Guests Off the Leash’ plans.


The Guardian  Canada Goose fashion brand to stop using fur by end of 2022

Humane Society International  Dog Meat Trade

Blog on HSA website  Chinese advocates lead the fight against Yulin’s dog meat trade

The War on Wildlife Project  Grouse Moors | Licencing Slaughter

Dominic Mitchell  Veolia UK destroys grassland habitat (on Twitter)

The Citro  Journalism on the persecution and defence of wildlife

Vale Wildlife Hospital  Open Day 2021

The War on Wildlife Project Equipment Fund

‘Shortcasts’ are short standalone audio comments and statements from conservationists, campaigners, charities, authors and members of our audience. If it needs to be said – say it here!

 Philip Lymbery, Global CEO of Compassion in World Farming, (CiWF), is an award-winning author, an ornithologist, a photographer, and a self-confessed animal advocate.  For 25 years he has worked extensively on animal welfare issues, wildlife and the environment. He is a recognised thought leader, his lectures taking him across the globe to meet and exchange ideas with like-minded specialists, experts and individuals.

In May 2021 CiWF produced a position statement on Meat Alternatives, and it's that position that Philip discusses in this shortcast.

• Extract from CiWF's position statement: "Compassion in World Farming believes that meat alternatives are a vital part of the solution in ending factory farming and transforming the global food system to one that is healthy, humane and regenerative. Alternative protein innovations, whether plant-based meat analogues, cultured meat from stem-cells or proteins from fermentation, offer the potential to replace the consumption of meat from intensively farmed livestock and thereby reduce animal suffering."

Compassion in World Farming website
Philip Lymbery website