The BBC’s Natural World show
Many thanks to all of you who emailed me regarding the recent Natural World programme on BBC 2 that featured businessman Paul Lister’s plans to reintroduce wolves and bears etc to the Scottish Highlands.
Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to see the programme but from what many of you tell me it was something of a “hymn to Paul Lister”. Interesting enough one senior BBC producer telephoned me to say the programme makers had ridden roughshod over the BBC’s own producer guidelines, in that they didn’t give equal opportunities to the supporters of the plans and to those who opposed them. Indeed, from what I gather, only a couple of us got the chance to make a few comments.
Later on in the year the BBC are also broadcasting a 6-part series on Lister and his plans, so look out for that. From what I’m told there is a fairer treatment to those who oppose the electric fence scheme (Lister plans to keep the wolves, bears etc in an enormous fenced-in area of about 35-50,000 acres. The fence will be 3m tall, electrified, with no access points. Walkers, he says, should be prepared to make this small access sacrifice so he can charge people £50 a day for the privilege of a Land Rover tour).
It’s probably only fair to point out at this stage that I think Lister is doing some great work at Alladale. His woodland regeneration scheme is great; he is trying to keep deer numbers down and I congratulate him for all of that but if the reintroduction of wolves is dependent on him creating an enormous zoo to keep them enclosed then many of us will fight any fence proposals that come along. And I should also point out that no official planning proposal has been made yet regarding a fence. Be assured as soon as a planning proposal is made you’ll read about it on this website.
Meanwhile, if you can find the time this summer, visit Alladale and see for yourselves the kind of mountain landscapes Lister is suggesting walkers should be banned from. It includes the Corbett of Carn Ban and the approaches to that lovely Munro, Seana Braigh.
April 28th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
I didn’t see all of the BBC programme but agree it was very favourable towards Mr Lister.
Should hill walkers and climbers be more concerned about his plans (whatever the detail) or the proliferation of wind farms? I am not sure.
April 29th, 2008 at 6:23 am
I think we should be concerned about both, but bear in mind that Lister hasn’t yet applied for planning permission for his notorious fence. It might never happen. Meanwhile, the turbines are going up around us.
April 30th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Absolutely right - be concerned about both. The Lewis windfarm may have been rejected and I’m sure we are all pleased about that, but this simply means that the turbines will go somewhere else. I think the Scottish Government has only reached about half it’s megawattage target from onshore wind, so I’m afraid it’s a case of ‘Windfarms - coming soon to a hill near you’.
Nowhere is safe. Plans are afoot for turbines at Berrier Hill, only 5 miles from Blencathra in the Lakes (Cumbria, February 2008 issue) and the
Greenknowes (Ochils) windfarm a few miles from my home is well underway. It’s a depressing sight for sure.
Lister’s plans are no more welcome but I suspect the climbing/walking community might be more vociferous about this than they seem to be about wind turbines. I sometimes think, that in Scotland at any rate, Cameron’s is a voice in the (fast disappearing) wilderness!