Page 52 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #10

WILDNEWS

SUSPICIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Researchers lost track of‘Fred’the golden UNSOLVED KILLING In South Lanarkshire last year an unidentified person was
eagle in mysterious circumstances in 2017.His satellite tag was tracked inexplicably heard firing a shotgun and,shortly afterwards,was seen dumping something in a ditch.
going round the Edinburgh bypass. It stopped transmitting off the coast of Fife Ness. The following day, the police retrieved the body of a short-eared owl.

SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION Last year there were four prosecutions across DOUBLE POISONING The number of incidents of raptor persecution has not
the UK relating to alleged raptor persecution,but only one was successful – that of a decreased in England.Two peregrines were killed in Shropshire in 2017 after feeding
gamekeeper who shot a buzzard on a pheasant shoot in Scotland. on a pigeon carcass laced with pesticide. Police linked the crime to pigeon racing.

WILDLIFE CRIME

Scotland’sraptorpersecutionrates fall

New ‘progressive’ legislation may be responsible for reducing bird crime.

he number of confirmed instances should their gamekeepers break the by gamekeepers, in order to kill raptors.
Tof raptor persecution in Scotland has law. “The Scottish Government is very Known victims in 2017 included
dropped well below the long-term average progressive,” Thomas adds. 22 buzzards, 7 red kites, 3 marsh harriers
in a trend that conservationists say could All birds of prey – raptors – are fully and 1 hen harrier.
be down to new legislation that came into protected under UK law, but many are still But the RSPB also says that these
force there in 2012. deliberately killed every year – a total of 68 figures are just the tip of the iceberg. It
There were five known crimes relating confirmed incidents in 2017, including the believes that bringing in vicarious liability Clockwise from Golden Eagle: Guy Shorrock/RSPB; Ben Andrew/RSPB; Shutterstock/RSPB; Ben Hall/RSPB;
to birds of prey in Scotland in 2017, four examples shown above. – and the licensing of grouse moor estates,
compared with an average of 27 a year over But Thomas believes that ‘vicarious which is currently under consideration in
the past five years, according to the RSPB’s liability’ north of the border has deterred Scotland – would help lower persecution
latest Birdcrime report. In comparison, estates from trying to poison birds of rates in England and Wales as well. JF
there has been no decline in the number prey. “All the police have to do now is
of crimes detected in England. find poison that’s incorrectly stored, FIND OUT MORE The Birdcrime
Mark Thomas, from the RSPB or not legal, and the landowner can be Report: rspb.org.uk/birdcrime
Investigations team, says that under prosecuted,” he points out.
the law of vicarious liability, Scottish The RSPB says that shooting is now the WANT TO COMMENT? Email us at
landowners can be convicted of a crime primary illegal method employed, mainly wildlifeletters@immediate.co.uk

52 BBC Wildlife October 2018