HB meeting 9th July 2024
Summarised minutes from meeting held on Zoom on 9th July, 2024.
Present
Mark Upton (Vice-chair and Stand-in Chair)
Helen Nakielny (Specialist Member)
Nick Havemann-Mart (Welsh Hawking Club)
Dean White (South Eastern Falconry Group)
Nick Fox (Co-opted)
James Legge (Countryside Alliance)
Rachelle Upton (Co-ordinator/Treasurer)
Gary Biddiss (Observer)
Apologies
Bob Dalton (Specialist Member)
Dr Gordon Mellor (Specialist Member)
Martyn Standley (Specialist Member/BFC)
James Robinson (Specialist Member)
Sharon Creffield (South East Raptor Association)
Tom Dutton (Co-opted)
Meeting discussion points
1) Minutes of last meeting/Matters arising
2) Stand-In Chair’s Report
James Robinson (Specialist Member) has resigned with immediate effect due to family and work commitments.
Sadly Dr Gordon Mellor had to stand back from his role as chairman, following a concerning health issue. This came to a surprise to us all and we wish Gordon a speedy rehabilitation. Gordon asked me as Vice-president, to stand-in for him for the present time. Gordon will continue on Hawk Board as a specialist member.
Since Gordon stood back I have been able to represent Hawk Board on several occasions. I joined Jim Collins at a small open day organised by him and Martin Jones at Martin’s breeding project, where representatives from DEFRA, APHA and JNCC were shown how a breeding facility works during the breeding season and how the legislation requirements can work or conflict with present breeding practices. It was a most congenial and positive day and thank you Martin and Jim for organising the day.
As many of you are aware we had a request from South East Falconry Group to look into a request from CITES Registration which asked numerous, and I felt, unnecessarily invasive questions about his breeding facilities and practices. None of which are part of the CITES application. I wrote a letter to DEFRA, approved by the HB specialist members. They are still looking into the individual case, but we had an informal, basically saying among a minority of breeders there have been illicit activities (there is no suggestion of this regarding the questioned case) regarding applications for A10’s and the export of peregrines and peregrine hybrids and they are asking more questions of people with limited breeding history to determine whether they have the adequate facilities in place.
In the last week I have written to the Irish NPWS Consultation on the Wildlife legislation review, on behalf of the Irish Hawking Club.
3) Treasurers Report
4) Election of Chair and Vice Chair
Could not take place because the meeting was not quorate. Postponed to next meeting.
5) Going Forwards
We need new candidates for HB.
Invite candidates to meetings.
Clubs to get more involved.
Get falconry related activities more involved.
Chair and volunteers to travel regions to talk to groups to improve communication.
6) July Conference
Most things in place.
Several of us to visit venue on day before conference to finalise organisation.
7) UNESCO
First meeting will take place shortly after July Conference to put teams in place for each UK Country
8) Website
Mark Upton showed new website to board and we were joined by Oliver Tomlinson who’s company has kindly donated the designing of the new site to HB. Oliver spoke briefly about the site.
9) SUN Update
10) Scottish Update / Mountain Hare
No information yet about meeting with Scottish Minister.
Spoke about licensing of Grouse Moors and how that could affect falconry.