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THE Curlew Recovery Partnership is a new , exciting and transformative initiative , bringing together all those with an interest in Curlew conservation , including land managers , farmers , gamekeepers , policymakers and researchers . They are joining forces to help secure the future of one of England ’ s most iconic and threatened species , the Eurasian Curlew .
Urgent action is needed . The Curlew is one of the most pressing bird conservation priorities in the UK , where nearly half the breeding population has been lost over the last 25 years and where range contraction has seen Curlews disappear from many traditional sites .
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© Charles _ Sainsbury-Plaice
The partnership is the outcome of Curlew Recovery Summits hosted by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales on Dartmoor in March 2018 and at Highgrove in February 2020 . It will provide co-ordination and support to those engaged in Curlew conservation , while also providing benefits for other threatened species and habitats and helping people to connect with nature . HRH The Prince of Wales said :
“ The hauntingly evocative cry of the Curlew is now all too seldom heard . This most wonderful bird needs urgent support and I am delighted that following meetings on Dartmoor in March 2018 and at Highgrove in February 2020 , the England Curlew Recovery
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© Tom Streeter
Partnership has been formed to bring together all those who can help provide such support and , indeed , promote this crucial cause to the public ; many of whom , I am sure , are unaware of quite how special the Curlew is and the part that they can play in helping to save it for the benefit of current and future generations .”
The Partnership has recently appointed Mary Colwell as Chair and Prof Russell Wynn as Manager . Supported by a Steering Group , they will drive the Partnership forward , drawing upon the Partnership ’ s extensive combined experience of Curlew conservation , research and public engagement . In Mary ’ s words :
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“ The disappearance of curlews from across the open landscapes of England is deeply sad and a very tangible reminder of the crisis facing our wildlife . The Curlew Recovery Partnership is determined to work together to find solutions to reverse its decline and to help transform our relationship with nature . It is an honour to be part of this initiative .”
The Partnership ’ s Steering Group comprises nine organisations : Bolton Castle Estate , British Trust for Ornithology ( BTO ), Curlew Action , Curlew Country , Duchy of Cornwall , Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust ( GWCT ), Natural England , Royal Society for the Protection of Birds ( RSPB ), and Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust ( WWT ).
The Partnership has been set up with financial support from Defra and will explore opportunities to embed Curlew recovery within Defra ’ s new Environmental Land Management Scheme ( ELMS ) and the Nature Recovery Network . Natural England Chair , Tony Juniper said :
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“ Sadly , Eurasian Curlew is very scarce in many parts of England - if this decline continues there is a significant risk that future generations will not be able to enjoy these wonderful birds . We look forward to working as part of the Partnership ’ s Steering Group , which brings together those who are equally passionate about the recovery of these iconic birds . The partnership launched today is an example of the kind of positive collaboration that we know is needed if we are to reverse the declining fortunes of many of our wildlife species .”
The Partnership is now keen to engage with anyone interested in saving England ’ s Curlews , and will provide a conduit for information flow and future funding to support those working on the ground . To get involved , please email hello @ curlewrecovery . org or visit the website at www . curlewrecovery . org
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A research paper just published in the scientific journal ‘ Future Foods ’, suggest that certified grass-fed beef could be recognised legally as a ‘ source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids ’, following work carried out at Newcastle University .
In humans these omega-3 fats have anti-inflammatory properties and a deficiency contributes to a wide range of adverse mental and physical health conditions , including coronary heart disease . However , a major weakness of many modern diets around the world is a shortage of these types of fatty acids , exacerbated by excess omega-6 fats .
“ Whilst differences between organic and conventionally reared beef have been studied before , this is the first record of the extra benefit from cattle fed 100 % forage diets throughout their entire life ,” says lead researcher Gillian Butler .
“ We found that Pasture for Life beef has more than 40mg
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long-chain omega-3 / 100g of the meat . This means certified farmers could make a nutritional claim when selling their beef , as it qualifies as a ‘ source for omega-3 fatty acids ’ under European Food Standards .”
Non-organic and organic sirloin steaks were bought from two supermarkets during May and June 2019 . These were
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Figure 1 : Mean concentration of fatty acids in muscle tissue in sirloin steaks from four production systems LA = linoleic acid ( omega-6 or n-6 fatty acid ) ALA = alpha-linolenic acid ( omega-3 or n-3 fatty acid )
compared with steaks from cattle from two farms certified Pasture for Life – meaning they were 100 % pasture-fed . Steaks from animals kept primarily for vegetation management , also known as conservation grazing , all of which were 100 % pasture-fed , were also included in the study , which considered the fat composition of each steak .
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“ The results show clear differences between the concentration of the good longchain omega-3 fatty acids and the not-so-good omega-6 fatty acids in the meat between the cattle diets ( see Figure 1 ).
They confirmed that feeding grains and cereal by-products produces less omega-3 fatty acids in the meat and more of the less desirable omega-6 fatty acids . The ratio of the omega-6 to omega-3 is also much poorer for grain-fed beef at 7:1 compared to a healthier 2:1 for beef from 100 % pasture-fed cattle .”
“ This research clearly shows that what animals eat has a direct impact on the quality of the meat which consumers eat ,” says Jimmy Woodrow of the Pasture-Fed Livestock Association , which lies behind the Pasture for Life meat and dairy certification standards .
“ The fatty acids we need to eat more of , occur in far higher concentrations in meat from animals fed just on diverse pasture and forage .
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“ This is exciting news ; the scientific evidence is increasingly backing up what our farmers are doing and shows their meat is of the highest nutritional quality for people to eat .”
The paper , “ Forage-fed cattle point the way forward for beef ?’ is published in ‘ Future Foods – A Dedicated Journal for Sustainability in Food Science ’ and can be read here : https :// www . sciencedirect . com / journal / future-foods / vol / 3 / suppl / C
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