To cull or not to cull

Should it be permissible to cull buzzards to save lapwing chicks from predation?

At the Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership annual conference last week, farmer (and longtime LBC member) Nicholas Watts bravely revealed that he had sought a licence to cull buzzards at his farm near Spalding.

His application was refused by Natural England but, apparently, he might have received a more favourable response if the birds had been pheasant chicks rather than lapwings.

Well done to NW for drawing attention to a controversial issue which tends to be carried out off the radar.

The RSPB is opposed to culling magpies but how strictly does it adhere to this at its reserves? It certainly culls carrion crows if they threaten its own black-tailed godwit breeding projects.