Ahead of the Scottish Government’s debate on eradicating raptor persecution from Scotland, the Trust wants zero tolerance to be shown to those who flout the law and illegally kill Scotland’s rare and iconic bird species.
The Trust supports the strong stance taken by the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Paul Wheelhouse, and calls for the wildlife crime punishment to be both proportionate and substantial enough to discourage others.
The hastily scheduled debate is the Scottish Government’s response to the spate of raptor poisonings in Ross-shire – three quarters of the birds killed were red kite, a species which is afforded the highest level of protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
These shocking incidents follow closely on from the death, in suspicious circumstances, of a four-year old female peregrine in Stirlingshire, the disappearance of a young white-tailed eagle in east Scotland and the poisoning of a tagged golden eagle in Angus.
The Trust believes that such despicable acts not only damage Scotland’s biodiversity it also jeopardises what makes Scotland such an attractive and special place for residents and visitors alike.
Head of Policy for the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Dr Maggie Keegan, said: “The shocking spate of raptor poisonings which have killed some of Scotland’s most rare and threatened species such as red kite, peregrine falcon and golden eagle highlights the fact that some individuals remain determined to flout the law.
“Sadly, it is also obvious that the recently strengthened wildlife legislation has failed to halt or change the behaviour of some.
“More worryingly the recent deaths may only be the tip of the iceberg as such crimes often occur in very remote areas.
“It is also frustrating that the very selfish action of a few is totally at odds with the Scottish public’s passion for wildlife and raptors – the golden eagle was recently voted Scotland’s favourite species.
“We also know the public want to help protect wildlife from crime – the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Peregrine Protection Watch at the Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve was oversubscribed this year with 15 volunteers coming forward to help prevent peregrine eggs from being stolen by thieves.
“We also know that Scotland’s raptors are loved around the world – the Trust’s ospreycam at the Loch of the Lowes reserve attracts over 1 million viewers a year to the site from over 150 countries.
“We know it is extremely difficult to change the mindset of few determined individuals and to tackle the problem.
“We need the public to remain vigilant, a robust implementation of legislation, including the use of the vicarious liability provision where appropriate, and an adequately resourced wildlife crime unit.”