NGO statement on keeper found guilty of killing a buzzard

 

This is a serious wildlife crime, and such behaviour has no place in responsible land or wildlife management, the shooting sector or gamekeeping. The person in question is not and never has been a member of the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation.

 

The NGO invests substantial time and resources into ending bird of prey persecution. We work in partnership with BASC, the Moorland Association and the Countryside Alliance, and we serve as active members of the Peak District Bird of Prey Initiative, the North York Moors Forum, the Yorkshire Dales Bird of Prey Partnership, and the police‑led Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group (RPPDG).

 

We collaborate with all UK police forces, maintain a close working relationship with the National Wildlife Crime Unit, and meet regularly with Natural England and Defra.

The vast majority of gamekeepers conduct their important work within the law and regard those who break the law as taking us in a backwards direction. Gamekeepers are overwhelmingly a force for good in the countryside, and behaviour such as this damages the hard work that gamekeepers carry out every day of the week.

 

As the lead body for gamekeeping, the NGO has a no-tolerance approach to any kind of wildlife crime. Membership of the NGO carries a clear expectation: all members must uphold the Code of Good Shooting Practice and operate fully within the law. This is regularly reinforced to our members.

 

The NGO condemns all wildlife crime, including offences against birds of prey, and we will not tolerate such actions among our membership. Any member convicted of these crimes will be expelled from the organisation.

 

Our position is firm, our guidelines are explicit, and our commitment to ending the illegal killing of birds of prey is unwavering. As an organisation we are also campaigning to make all wildlife crime - including offences against birds of prey - fully recordable by the police, and are working with ACPO towards this.