Bird crime shocker

Locally protected birds of prey are still being shot, trapped and poisoned according to a shocking new report released by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

The Birdcrime report has shown that 24 incidents were reported locally over the last 12 months, with our area leading the way in its league of shame and accounting for five per cent of the total UK incidents.

Since Birdcrime was started 20 years ago, the Dyfed Powys Police region tops the UK league with 73 confirmed persecution incidents, followed by North Wales Police with 56 and South Wales Police with 47. 

Sean Christian, RSPB Cymru Head of Conservation, said: “Wildlife crimes are an abhorrent feature of our countryside, for the sake of kites, harriers, buzzards, falcons and ospreys we have to take more action to consign these crimes to history. Over time, the threat of egg collecting has diminished. However, the recent conviction of an international egg-thief for stealing peregrine falcon eggs from the Rhondda shows that there is still an international demand for illegally-taken eggs. The killing of birds of prey is as big a threat today as it was two decades ago.”

In the report, the RSPB has identified 11 recommendations for government action, so that these appalling crimes can be eradicated.

Earlier this year Jane Davidson, Welsh Assembly Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing, was one of more than 11,0000 people to sign a pledge to protect birds of prey in Wales. In September 2009, Mrs Davidson also announced that a Review of Wildlife Crime policing in Wales would take place to reinforce existing good practice and identify opportunities for further action.