Extra hen harriers have been killed in 2023 than in another yr on file, a report has discovered.
The RSPB’s Birdcrime report additionally discovered that a minimum of 1,344 particular person birds of prey have been persecuted within the UK between 2009 and 2023, and that 75% of individuals convicted of offences associated to the persecution of birds of prey in that interval have been related to the gamebird taking pictures business.
Taking pictures estates have traditionally killed birds of prey due to fears the raptors will eat recreation birds akin to grouse, that means there are fewer for individuals to shoot. Birds historically focused embrace uncommon and threatened species akin to golden eagles, hen harriers, peregrine falcons, white-tailed eagles and goshawks.
The RSPB is looking for legal guidelines to be tightened; although birds of prey are protected by regulation beneath the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, just one individual has been jailed previously 15 years.
Mark Thomas, the RSPB’s UK head of investigations, stated: “If we’re to avoid wasting birds just like the extremely threatened hen harrier, then the present laws is clearly not sufficient: we’d like licensing of gamebird taking pictures all through the UK, stronger penalties and significant sentencing to cease these crimes and save our wildlife.”
In Scotland, a regulation handed in March this yr requires all grouse shoots in Scotland to have a licence to function, and if crimes such because the killing of birds of prey happen on the property, the licence could be revoked. The RSPB is recommending the same regulation be handed by the Labour authorities in England. It additionally says shoots of all gamebirds, not simply grouse, ought to require a licence to function throughout the devolved nations, and has referred to as on nationwide governments to implement harder penalties for the deliberate killing of birds.
A Defra spokesperson stated there aren’t any plans to introduce licences for gamebird taking pictures in England, including: “Chicken of prey crime is a nationwide wildlife crime precedence and there are robust penalties in place for offences dedicated towards birds of prey and different wildlife.”
This article by Helena Horton was first printed by The Guardian on 22 October 2024. Lead Picture: Taking pictures estates have traditionally killed birds of prey as a result of they eat recreation birds akin to grouse, leaving fewer for individuals to shoot. {Photograph}: Tim Melling/Nationwide Belief/PA.
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