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No reason to continue Ruddy Duck shootings
Not only is the Ruddy Duck cull a waste of taxpayers' money, it is also pointless.
This species does no harm to native wildlife (unlike many other introductions such as mink and grey squirrels which the government chooses to ignore), no longer migrates to Spain due to warmer winters here making it unnecessary (just four were found in Spain in 2006 by the EU team employed to shoot them there, and the Central Science Laboratory, the arm of Defra carrying out the cull here, say that they are confident none were missed).
The only reason the cull is taking place is to prevent hybridisation with the similar White-headed Duck in Spain. This species was reduced to about 20 individuals in the early 1990s due to shooting by the Spanish, and habitat degradation, resulting in the desperate survivors breeding with their incoming Ruddy Duck "cousins", which then were more numerous than their own population.
Both these issues have now been addressed - shooting is forbidden, habitat has been re-created and the White-headed Duck population in Spain is now 3,000-5,000.
Nowadays, British Ruddy Ducks have lost their migratory urge and stay with us all year round, congregating at selected waters in the UK where, being night flyers, they make easy targets for Defra marksmen (unlike mink and squirrels).
Wigan taxpayers should remember too, when the next elections come round, that Defra could not have entered the Wigan Flashes without the landowners' permission – in this case, Wigan Council. I understand as many as 50% of landowners in the UK have refused permission to cull, so the species will continue to thrive.
Last weekend, there was an incident where six youths were seen shooting randomly at ducks on Pearson's Flash, the water where the Ruddy Ducks congregate in the Wigan Flashes. Their car registrations were passed to the police.
No doubt their excuse will be that as the government can shoot there, so can they!
Judith Smith,
County Bird Recorder,
Greater Manchester
Councillor Jean Beswick
A letter published in the Wigan Evening Post, on December 28 2007, stated that Coun Jean Beswick, in voting for the New Springs marina project, was in favour of "the sanction of 80 more wagons to be able to use the road in connection with the new golf course and marina."
Coun Beswick believes that this letter meant that she had, in effect, voted for more traffic on Cale Lane. Another letter from Coun Hilton, published on January 12, 2008 reinforced that claim.
In fact, Coun Beswick insists that the hard core produced on the industrial site has to go along Cale Lane whether it was going to a nearby marina site or elsewhere and that there will be no difference in the amount of traffic on Cale Lane.
Coun Beswick has asked us to point that she is sympathetic to the problems of the Cale Lane residents and has always been active in trying to improve conditions.
We are happy to clarify this.
Energy firm profits just don't add up
The cost of heating and lighting our homes has gone up by at least 15%. What I cannot comprehend is that British Gas can announce an operating profit of 1.95bn by its parent company Centrica.
Am I missing something here?
Darryl Ashton, address supplied
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Weather for Wigan
Saturday 26 May 2012
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