The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) has welcomed the decision by the Court of Appeal to dismiss legal challenges by the RSPB and Mark Avery into Natural England’s research into hen harrier brood management.

In confirming the trial brood management scheme is legal, the courts have for a second time dismissed the RSPB and Mark Avery, former conservation director at the RSPB and a founder of Wild Justice.

The brood management scheme is part of a six point recovery programme to see hen harrier’s reach favourable status in England. The scheme is supported by BASC and part-funded by the Wildlife Habitat Charitable Trust (WHCT), the grant-giving body set up by BASC to support conservation projects.

Caroline Bedell, BASC’s executive director of conservation, said: “BASC is fully supportive of the hen harrier recovery programme and has welcomed this decision by the Court of Appeal.

“The decision is the correct one for those that wish to see hen harrier numbers grow in the UK.”