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| Peregrines and ravens appear on the Isle of Man's coat of arms. |
It is well worth noting the recent
publication of the Manx government's strategy for the future of its
uplands. The full Upland Strategy document is available
here, and there is also value in exploring the extraordinary situation facing grouse on the Island. In the
1970s, red grouse were widely abundant on the Isle of Man, and their
subsequent decline coincided with a considerable amount of afforestation
in the uplands which led to a fragmentation of the moors.
At the same time, the first Manx hen harriers
began to breed on the island in the early 1960s, reaching a density peak
in 2006 when 52 nests were identified. Over the past thirty
years, grouse numbers have declined so dramatically that the entire upland area
of the Isle of Man now only supports between thirty and seventy pairs of grouse
each Spring. The number varies year by year, and the new report identifies raptor predation as a key factor in the suppression of
grouse numbers.
The Isle of Man is represented in heraldry by
both the peregrine and the raven, and the cultural significance of upland
raptors cannot be overstated as a source of pride for the Manx people. The
problem currently facing the sporting tenants is that while the past ten years
have been devoted to managing the hills with considerable gusto, a viable
return in the form of a grouse bag has not been forthcoming. Looking
objectively at the extent and quality of heather management on the Isle of Man,
it is clear to see that there is no way that the grouse are absent as a result
of neglect or disinterest, and many far less diligently maintained moors can be
reliably shot year after year in Scotland and England. Much of the afforestation has been reversed, and more is now being felled to control the spread of a major Phytophthora outbreak.
Aerial photographs reveal the fantastic extent of
the work put in by the sporting tenants, but these are people who remember what
grouse shooting was like in the 1970s and before and are working to resurrect
those days. It is difficult to encourage a new generation of moorland managers
to take on and continue the sterling work put in by the incumbents when the
promise or expectation of a reasonable bag of grouse seems such an
unobtainable goal.
Within the complexity of predator/prey relationships, there are
now concerns that the genetic viability of Manx grouse is being suppressed by
isolation and fragmentation. It has been suggested that fresh bloodlines of
grouse should be introduced from Great Britain to boost the existing stock, which in
turn might aid in the birds' ability to evade predators and thrive. In their
report, the Uplands Strategy Steering Group formally recognises the potential
value of relocation as a means of addressing this issue, and in turn, this is a
reflection of the Manx government's understanding of the importance of sporting
management in the uplands. This is not without controversy, and some commentators on the Island worry that the full resurrection of sporting management would include raptor persecution.
The document covers all aspects of land
management in the hills, and while it is in no way restricted to grouse and
sporting matters, it is very refreshing to see a plan for the future that is so
obviously grounded in a practical, hands-on attitude to maintaining and
improving the condition of the uplands.
