Birds of prey numbers up; raptor persecution cases down...RSPB reports bird crime as 'national disgrace'

The headlines from the RSPB’s report into bird crime in 2016, out last week, highlighted the fact that despite 81 confirmed reports of the persecution of birds of prey no one had been prosecuted.

By

Philip Bowern

Print Editor, Western Morning News

13:05, 5 DEC 2017

The headlines from the RSPB’s report into bird crime in 2016, out last month, highlighted the fact that despite 81 confirmed reports of the persecution of birds of prey no one had been prosecuted. The conservation charity, unsurprisingly, made much of the statistics and what it sees as the lack of action by the police and prosecution service on this area of wildlife crime.

It highlighted in particular allegations of the persecution of the hen harrier, down to tiny numbers on the uplands of northern England and Scotland and targeted, it is claimed, by grouse moor keepers because hen harriers prey on grouse chicks. It also highlighted buzzard poisonings.

While none of the above is acceptable – and pro-shooting groups the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and the Countryside Alliance have both stepped up efforts within the country sports community to adopt a zero tolerance approach to raptor persecution – there is another story.

Continued