This week saw the release of the latest bridcrime report and despite 2013 being the 60th year of legal protection for wild birds the report tells the continuing story of illegal persecution of birds of prey in Wales.
The report reveals 12 instances of poisoning of birds of prey in Wales, accounting for 9% of the UK total birds of prey crime figures. Wales was the only part of the UK where the destruction of birds of prey was carried out solely thorough poisoning. The report includes the confirmed poisoning of peregrines and red kites in Conwy and Powys respectively.
A particularly disturbing case was the poisoning and attempted poisoning of peregrines in a quarry in Conwy . In June 2012 The RSPB was informed that a live pigeon was tethered to a rock below an active peregrine nest at the quarry. North Wales Police with RSPB assistance recovered the bird but it died the next day. The body tested positive for banned substance Carbufuran when tested by Natural Resources Wales. A couple of days latter two recently dead juvenile peregrines were found. They were tested and again proved positive for the same poison. Further decomposed baited pigeons were found at the site and it appears that they had been placed several weeks earlier as baits for the peregrines. Further investigations failed to lead to any significant lines of inquiry.
Martin Harper, the RSPB’s Director of Conservation said, “There are few sights in nature as breathtaking as witnessing a peregrine stooping.These are sights we should all be able to enjoy when visiting our uplands. However, these magnificent birds are being removed from parts of our countryside where they should be flourishing”.
Across the UK as a whole the report revealed 208 reports of the shooting and destruction of birds of prey including the confirmed shooting of 15 buzzards, five sparrowhawks and four peregrine falcons. The report also includes over 70 reports of poisoning incidents. Confirmed victims of poisoning include nine buzzards and seven red kites.
The RSPB Investigations Unit also revealed that there were 45 bird crime incidents reported across all species in Wales in 2012. However, the real numbers are almost certainly higher as many incidents are likely to go unnoticed and unrecorded. Over the UK as a whole there were 648 incidents recorded in 2012.
In its latest report, the RSPB assesses the Government’s progress on implementing changes that will make a real difference to birds such as the hen harrier and the peregrine. A significant development is the publication of the Law Commission’s recommendations following a consultation on potential changes to wildlife law in England and Wales, set out in their ‘Interim Report’ released this October [note 6].
The RSPB is heartened by some of the Law Commission’s recommendations including the recognition of the seriousness of some wildlife crimes and the recommendation for an option for these cases to be triable at the Crown Court, where higher penalties are available. However, the nature conservation charity believes tougher legislation is needed to punish employers whose staff commit wildlife crimes and are calling on the government to introduce the provision of vicarious liability, where employers would be legally responsible for the wildlife crimes committed by their employers. This has been introduced in Scotland and early signs are that it may be having some deterrent effect with a reduction at least in the number of confirmed poisoning incidents.
Martin Harper added, “The RSPB is pleased that the Law Commission has recognised the need to extend criminal liability in England and Wales to those who ultimately benefit from wildlife crime. However, despite an admission that the majority of consultees, including the RSPB, were in favour of the introduction of vicarious liability in England and Wales, the Law Commission has recommended an alternative version of extending criminal liability that we fear will be ineffective. We want to see the Government getting tough on wildlife criminals by making changes that will make a lasting difference to the prospects of threatened species like the hen harrier and Peregrine”