There are some parts of my job which give me no pleasure at all.

This is one such issue.

One hundred years ago – three years before the start of the First World War – a law was passed to prevent the poisoning of wildlife, including birds of prey – an early piece of wildlife legislation. With this law in place you may be forgiven for thinking that bird of prey poisoning is an activity which should have been consigned to history. Sadly, that is not the case. Every month our team of investigations officers attend a series of reported incidents involving the deaths of peregrines, red kites, eagles and buzzards. Half a million people enjoy watching these birds every year with the RSPB through our Dates with Nature scheme. But the sickening sight of cold corpses of these birds lying next to a poisoned bait or lying dead in their nest with their dead chicks beside them are images that the public couldn’t stand, and even the most hardened wildlife crime investigators still find these scenes distressing.

Our latest Birdcrime publication reveals 128 reports of illegal poisoning in the UK last year.  And, the provisional figures for this year suggest a similar pattern. In 2010, 20 red kites, 30 buzzards, two goshawks, eight peregrines, five golden eagles, one white-tailed eagle and one sparrowhawk were found poisoned in the UK. We believe that the number of recorded incidents is way below the actual number.

The finger of suspicion points at some of those in the gamekeeper profession. But Alasdair Mitchell – representing the National Gamekeepers Organisation – is outraged at the deaths of these birds of prey too and he has given us the organisation’s assurances that there is no hiding place for any member found guilty of persecuting birds of prey. This is welcome news.  The NGO rightly does not want a few bad apples to bring the profession into disrepute.

Scotland has successfully introduced legislation preventing anyone possessing pesticides and poisons if they don’t have a legitimate need for them. We believe that these same laws should be adopted in England and Wales too. For example, isn’t it sensible that only arable farmers should be allowed to possess stockpiles of chemicals used to control pests in crops of wheat or barley?

There are so many issues facing the countryside at present that moving towards a brighter future for birds of prey is an aspiration worth fighting for. We won’t solve bird of prey crime overnight, and I’m sure that our team of investigators will still remain busy. But given assurances from those governing gamekeeping and a law change in England and Wales, perhaps we can look forward to a time when birds of prey can fly safely in our skies. Time will tell.

How do you think we can stamp out illegal poisoning of birds of prey?

It would be great to hear your views.

  • Thanks to each of you for your thoughts.  I am sure that there is something in sorting out vicarious liability but yes, only if the penalties which act as a serious deterrent appears to be a way forward...

  • Think the above comments are made like all others on this subject with all sincerity hoping to solve the problem but they are I am sad to say a waste of time as take for example making unjustified possession of poisons illegal,well heroin is illegal and there must be close to a million regular users which means it is impossible to enforce.

    We have had a 100 years of persecution and in my view we will have another 100 years unless we have really draconian laws that no one would dare risk the consequences such as confiscating estates of guilty party's,well no one will make that a law,the only other thing to stop it is to somehow get attitudes changed.

    Any small new law is almost a waste of time as they are almost impossible to catch and if caught judges give meaningless sentences.

    This is not a criticism of well meaning people just a reality check.

  • I think that there should be vicarious responsibility put on the owner of farms and estates as well as on the gamekeepers. It is only when the landowner faces severe fines and even prison that the message will get through.

  • Make unjustified possession of poisons illegal.

    Make landonwers liable for the actions of their staff and agents.

    Regulate the running of sporting estates a licenced activity under the supervision of a body charged with ensuring they abide by the law.

    These are unfortunately all things that the Government needs to do.  We've had a few fine words but nothing has changed. If it claims to be the Greenest ever then lets see some action.