NGO Responds to RSPB Campaign

2 November 2011

NGO Response to RSPB’s statement in relation to its latest (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, and are fully supportive of the campaign against the illegal use of poison.

“As for raptor persecution generally, we note that the RSPB’s own latest figures show an 18% decrease in reported incidents involving birds of prey since the previous year*.  This welcome fall comes despite the fact that the surge in bird of prey numbers generally over recent decades means that the problems they can cause have never been more apparent.  The tolerance shown by the vast majority of gamekeepers is commendable. 

“Most of the UK’s native bird of prey populations are currently at or near record highs. None is classified as endangered.  Meanwhile, many less photogenic birds – including many moorland nesting species - are in serious decline nationally, but still thrive on land managed by gamekeepers.

“The most authoritative source of statistics on wildlife crime is the police National Wildlife Crime Unit. This unit’s bird of prey crime figures are much lower than those of the RSPB – typically less than half* – but even so they also show the same downward trend in bird of prey persecution.

“In its latest tactical assessment (Oct 2011)*, the National Wildlife Crime Unit recorded a 19% decrease in bird of prey persecution nationally compared with the same period last year – and this was despite a 6% increase in wildlife crime generally over that same period.  Poaching remains, by a very long way, the most prevalent and serious form of wildlife crime.” 

 1.      “Birdcrime 2010” shows “shooting and destruction of birds of prey” down to just 227 incidents in 2010, compared with 277 in 2009.

2.      During the period from Sep 1, 2008 to Aug 31, 2010, the number of confirmed incidents of deliberate killing or injuring of birds of prey (by any means) recorded by the NWCU was 179 across the entire UK. The figure for England and Wales was 115. Note: these NWCU figures are for a two year period.

3.      The latest (Oct 2011) NWCU tactical assessment covers the period Sept 2010 - May 2011