Grey herons are skilled fish hunters that increasingly come into conflict with fish pond owners and fish farmers, facing persecution despite legal protection.
Grey herons face illegal persecution from fish pond owners and fish farmers who perceive them as significant economic threats. Shooting, trapping, and use of illegal poisons kill herons that are fully protected. Legal deterrent methods including netting over fish ponds, reflective tape, and decoy herons are effective but require investment. Herons can carry avian influenza and their close contact with fish farms creates biosecurity concerns. Fish farms that are inadequately netted provide easily accessible prey that habituates herons to human activity, increasing future conflict. Individual herons injured by persecution face complex rehabilitation as they require live prey for release training. Their ecological role in controlling fish populations in natural water bodies is beneficial.