NSA issues raven control advice

With the growing raven population implicated in an increasing number of attacks on lambs and sheep, flockowners have been offered advice on control measures.

The National Sheep Association(nsa)saidthatboth Scottish Natural Heritage and English Nature were now willing to grant licences to control numbers in many parts of the country – a move they claimed reflected the growing need to control populations in areas where numbers had boomed to unmanageable levels.

“It is positive that raven numbers have increased to such a level that we’re now talking about having to control them in certain situations,” said NSA chief executive, Phil Stocker.

Stocker said the birds could peck out eyes and tongues of baby lambs and adult ewes, rending them blind and unable to eat: “It is important for farmers who have respected the protection order on these birds to be able to apply for licences where the situation cannot be controlled in any other way.”

He said that no-one wanted to see ravens endangered – but added that options had to be available to manage the impact of a population boom.

The information for sheep farmers stresses that they should only resort to control licences when all other measures have failed, but it adds: “Where this is not deemed sufficient to protect animals, a licence can be applied for to kill a limited number of birds to aid scaring and encourage others ravens away from the area.”

Stocker said the NSA guidance outlined what deterrents should be used on farms, what information should be recorded to monitor deterrents, and how licence applications should be submitted.