News - RSPB's Phoney War

RSPB's Phoney War

15 September 2010

Responding to the publication of the RSPB’s 2010 BirdCrime Report, a spokesman for The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, which represents the gamekeeping profession in England and Wales, said: “We condemn any wildlife crime, but it is important to keep a sense of perspective. Confirmed cases of bird of prey persecution are rare and the RSPB’s own figures show that only a small proportion of ‘reported incidents’ ever gets confirmed. Most of the UK’s native bird of prey populations are currently at or near record highs. None is classified as endangered.

“There can be little excuse for breaking the law, but it is important to debunk the myth that there is a war being waged on birds of prey by rural stakeholders such as gamekeepers. The facts show this is simply not so, and the public should be sceptical about the motives of those who hype the issue when a host of other, less photogenic birds are in serious decline”.

“The most authoritative source of statistics on wildlife crime is the police National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). This records much lower figures than the RSPB. Within the context of wildlife crime in general, the incidence of bird of prey persecution is tiny. By contrast, poaching is by far the most frequent form of wildlife crime, according to the NWCU. While the NGO is committed to eliminating wildlife crime – including the persecution of birds of prey - in an age of austerity, resources must surely be matched to the most prevalent forms of wildlife crime.

He added: “Peer-reviewed science shows gamekeeping to be a force for good. Gamekeepers conserve more key habitat and associated wildlife than all other nature conservation groups combined, covering an area of the UK larger than Wales, including the bulk of upland Sites of Special Scientific Interest. ”

For more info: Alasdair Mitchell, NGO spokesman, 01434 344 055 or 0191 233 9531

Notes to Editors

The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation is the representative body for gamekeeping in England and Wales, with nearly 15,000 members. The NGO’s disciplinary procedure renders any member found guilty of a criminal offence liable to have his or her membership terminated. (An NGO member was convicted of an offence involving birds of prey in 2008 and was duly expelled). Please find the NGO policy statement on Illegal Killing of Birds of Prey at http://www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk/library/resource/90/

The UK’s bird of prey populations are often portayed as being in freefall. In fact, in recent decades, most raptors species have surged to levels not seen within living memory, and are probably now higher than at any time since reliable records began. Figures published by the RSPB (Birds of Prey in the UK, May 2008) show 14 out of 15 UK hawk, eagle and falcon species are stable or increasing. Only one, the common kestrel, has declined in numbers recently - and this decline has been linked to the effects of changes in farming on the habitats and small mammals this species depends upon (BTO).

The description “endangered” is one of a series of official classifications, based on specific scientific population criteria overseen by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It should not be misused when referring to wildlife populations. Similarly, in domestic terms, legally “protected” does not equate to “rare”; many protected species are in fact very common.