Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust
News Release
For those interested in discovering the status of 20 wild mammals in the UK, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, as part of the JNCC (Joint Nature Conservation Committee) Tracking Mammals Partnership, is for the first time publishing online the unique results of its National Gamebag Census, which shows the rise and fall of 20 mammal species, including their conservation status, abundance, legal protection and distribution.
A fascinating aspect of this information is that it represents data that have been collected from shooting estate bag records – some of which date back as early as 1901. Because of the historical perspective and the fact that many mammal species are poorly covered by other monitoring schemes, the site provides rare insight on the gains and losses of many UK mammals.
The National Gamebag Census report, which can be found at : www.gwct.org.uk/ngcmammals shows that since 1961, there has been a significant increase in the gamebag index of nine species including brown hare, grey squirrel, brown rat, sika deer, roe deer, muntjac, fox, stoat and weasel. However, since 1978, the NGC records a significant decline in American mink. It is possible that the recovery of otters and efforts to step up mink control to conserve water voles might be affecting numbers.
Some of the species that are increasing are native, such as brown hare and fox. Fox populations have benefited from changes in control methods including the banning of Cymag poison, while the recent increase in brown hare numbers coincides with the introduction of set-aside and agri-environment schemes that have restored some habitat diversity to farmland.
Non-native species, including grey squirrel, muntjac and sika deer are showing rapid increases in the NGC as well as substantially expanding their ranges. Already these pose a threat to our native species and habitats, for example muntjac are now having a deleterious effect on woodland structure and plant species such as bluebells.
Dr Nicholas Aebischer, deputy director of research with the GWCT said, “It is extremely important that we understand the current status of our UK mammal populations, so that, when necessary, we can put in place the right conservation measures. The National Gamebag Census is important because it is the only scheme that provides trends going back 50 years or more, and hence providing the historical context. We are therefore delighted that JNCC recognises the importance of the NGC, particularly by making this information more widely available to everyone with an interest in mammal populations.”
Anna Robinson, biodiversity information officer with JNCC, said, “The new web pages and analysis of NGC records on the Trust’s website are an exciting development in the ongoing work to understand trends in wild mammal populations across the UK.”
The latest results of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust’s National Gamebag Census with mammal data up to 2009, will be available online from 6 July 2011. To access this information, please go to: www.gwct.org.uk/ngcmammals
