Legal Eagle

The RSPB’s investigations newsletter
March 2016, No 78
Legal Eagle
Stody estate loses 75% of
rural subsidy
In this issue: Ring ouzel chicks stolen from the wild
New report on Northern Ireland’s birds of prey available
Scotland restricts General Licences in wildlife crime hotspots

Guy Shorrock (RSPB) Ben Hall (rspb-images.com)
Cover story
As well as buzzards, a sparrowhawk is known to have been poisoned
Cross compliance bites
Rural subsidies have been reduced by about £185,000 for the Stody
Estate, where the worst raptor poisoning case in England took place.
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA)
has withheld 75% of the Cross
Compliance subsidy paid to the
Stody Estate in 2014. In November
2014, Allen Charles Lambert was
convicted of a number of offences,
including the poisoning of ten
buzzards and a sparrowhawk by
the banned pesticide mevinphos
(see Legal Eagle 75). Lambert,
who worked as a gamekeeper at
the Norfolk estate, was given a
ten-week suspended sentence.
Cross compliance is a mandatory
set of requirements and standards
that land managers have to
meet in order to receive support
scheme payments. There are a
number of Statutory Management
Requirements (SMRs) relating
to public health, animal and plant
health, environmental protection
and animal welfare. There are also
Good Agricultural and Environmental
Conditions (GAECs) relating to
environmental standards. Failure to
meet these requirements can result
in a payment reduction.
A response to a Freedom of
Information (FOI) request revealed
that, following an investigation
by the RPA, a 75% reduction has
been applied to payments made
to the Stody Estate in 2014. This
relates to a breach of SMR1 for the
intentional killing of wild birds. It
was later confirmed a reduction of
€263,308.10 (about £185,000) had
been applied. This is believed to be
the largest penalty applied under
the scheme for a wildlife crime. A
reduction of around £107,000 was
Nine of the poisoned buzzards found on the Stody Estate
applied to the Glenogil Estate in
Scotland following a number of
poisoning incidents in 2006.
The scheme that operated in
2014 has been replaced by the
current Basic Payments Scheme.
This has unfortunately limited the
circumstances when reduction can
be made for offences of killing wild
birds, though offences relating to
the use of pesticides are covered
under SMR10.
The RSPB welcomes the
work undertaken by the RPA.
We believe that cross
compliance sanctions should
be amongst a toolkit of options
to be considered by the statutory
agencies when investigating raptor
persecution offences.
Father and daughter
convicted of peregrine
offences
Trying to sell peregrine chicks via Facebook led to a conviction,
after it became clear that the birds had been taken from the wild.
On 29 October 2015, Liana Baker,
21, of Central Avenue, Bury, and her
father Alan Baker, 61, formerly of
the same address, appeared at Bury
Magistrates’ Court for sentencing.
At an earlier hearing they had
pleaded guilty to possession of
two peregrine falcons, contrary to
the Wildlife and Countryside Act
1981, and offering the birds for sale,
contrary to the Control of Trade in
Endangered Species (Enforcement)
Regulations 1997 (COTES).
Liana Baker was sentenced to eight
weeks in custody suspended for
12 months, ordered to attend a
rehabilitation of offenders course
and pay £345 costs. Alan Baker was
also sentenced to eight weeks in
custody, suspended for 12 months.
He was given a curfew from 7 pm
to 7 am for eight weeks and
ordered to pay £345 costs.
Magistrate Ralph Naylor told the
defendants that the offences were
so serious that only a custodial
sentence was appropriate.
The offences came to light in June
2015 when Liana Baker posted
photographs of two peregrine
falcon chicks on a falconry forum
on Facebook. Her text indicated that
the chicks were offered for sale at
£250 each. Baker’s Facebook post
sparked outrage from legitimate
falconers when they realised that
the birds were not ringed and were
not covered by permits. It became
apparent the birds had been taken
from the wild. Two falconers
reported the wild-taken birds
to the National Wildlife Crime
Unit (NWCU), which traced Baker
through her Facebook account.
Once it became obvious that
falconers had expressed their
concerns on the forum, Baker’s
father contacted the RSPB to tell
them that he was in possession
of two young peregrine falcons.
He claimed these had been handed
to him to look after by an unknown
person visiting their home. He
made no mention of the fact that
his daughter had been offering
them for sale.
With the help of the Royal Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals (RSPCA), the RSPB
arranged the recovery of the
birds later the same day. After a
veterinary check, RSPB officers,
with the assistance of Raptor
Workers from the Northern England
Raptor Forum (NERF), were able
to add the chicks to a nest in West
Yorkshire. It already contained two
chicks of a similar age, and the new
chicks were readily adopted by the
resident parents. They later fledged
and were observed free flying with
the other chicks from the nest and
the adult birds.
In July 2015, Liana and Alan Baker
were interviewed by the NWCU
and Greater Manchester Police and
admitted that they had tried to sell
the birds on Facebook. They claimed
that they had no knowledge of the
origins of the birds and that they
had been brought to the house by
a man that neither of them had
seen previously. They claimed they
had tried to care for them, but
realised it was too time consuming
and had then offered them for sale.
Enquiries were unable to ascertain
where the birds had originated from,
though a number of peregrine nests
Prosecutions
had been robbed or failed
in suspicious circumstances
in the north Manchester area.
Following the hearing, Andy
McWilliam from the NWCU
praised the falconers who brought
the matter to the attention of the
authorities and said: “The majority
of falconers and breeders work
within the law and it is reassuring
to know that they are prepared
to challenge criminality within the
falconry world. Anybody intent
on trading illegally in endangered
species should be aware that they
may face jail.”
The NWCU thanks PC Heather
Ranson for her valued work on
this case.
The chicks were placed in a wild
nest, and continued to thrive
NERF
2
3

Prosecutions
Prosecutions
Jean Thorpe
Mark Thomas (RSPB)
The buzzard received veterinary treatment, as it was in poor condition due to inadequate
housing and food
Justice for
mistreated buzzard
A report of a mistreated bird of prey at an address in Leeds turned into
a successful prosecution for West Yorkshire Police. Wildlife Crime Officer
(WCO) PC Andy Katkowski reflects on the case.
“On 30 September 2015, Steven
Cowan of Halton, Leeds was
sentenced at Leeds Magistrates’
Court. This followed an earlier guilty
plea on 7 September to causing
unnecessary suffering to a wild
animal. He received a six-month
community order, was disqualified
from owning animals of any kind
for two years and ordered to pay
£160 costs. He was also subject
to electronic monitoring, and a
community order of a curfew
between 7 pm and 6 am was
imposed for 12 weeks.
“On 24 October 2014, PCSO
Stephen Wales and I were called
to the address of Cowan following
a report of a bird of prey being
mistreated. There we found a
common buzzard being kept in a
coal bunker, which was underneath
steps leading to the house. The
housing was inappropriate and the
buzzard had insufficient food, and
was in poor condition. The bird was
taken to a local raptor rehabilitator
for treatment.
“Cowan was interviewed under
caution and reported for offences
of possession of a wild bird and
causing unnecessary suffering.
“He failed to appear at court on the
first appearance date and went on
the run until he was eventually
located in June 2015. Cowan
pleaded guilty to the offence of
causing unnecessary suffering and
was given bail and a date to return
to court after a pre-sentence report
had been compiled.
“The buzzard, which was forfeited
from Cowan after sentencing, was
rehabilitated and has subsequently
been released into the wild. Thanks
are due to PCSO Wales and my
expert witness Jean Thorpe, without
whom we would not have had the
same outcome.”
Bobby Thompson outside one of his aviaries as the Northumbria Police search warrant was executed
Bird fancier convicted
over “ringed” ouzels
A Sunderland man has been prosecuted for taking wild ring ouzel chicks from
a moor in County Durham.
On 13 October 2015, Bobby
Thompson, 69, of Meadow Close,
Houghton-le-Spring, pleaded guilty
at Sunderland Magistrates’ Court to
taking four wild ring ouzels in 2013
from Stanhope Moor, County
Durham, and possession of items
capable of being used to commit
an offence contrary to the Wildlife
and Countryside Act 1981.
Thompson was given a 12-month
conditional discharge, ordered to
forfeit all diaries, maps and books
seized during the investigation
and to pay £165 costs.
At Stanhope Moor in 2012, a
licensed BTO bird ringer discovered
three ring ouzel chicks in a nest had
been “close ringed” with aviculture
rings. He reported it to RSPB
Investigations Officers. As a result,
in July 2014, the RSPB assisted
Northumbria Police and the RSPCA
with a search warrant at Thompson’s
home. Five ring ouzels were found,
fitted with close rings, which were
connected to those seen on the
wild birds. Diaries were found,
which documented that Thompson
had taken ring ouzels from
Stanhope Moor in 2012 and 2013.
In October 2014, the confiscated
ring ouzels were released by the
RSPCA at Dungeness, Kent, to join
other ring ouzels passing through on
migration. In March 2015, the Crown
Prosecution Service (CPS) took over
the case as the RSPCA judged the
case to be out of prosecution time.
A legal argument before a District
Judge ruled the case was in time.
As a result, the defendant pleaded
guilty to the five charges.
The punishment could be viewed as
lenient, especially as the court heard
that the defendant had two previous
convictions for egg collecting, but
overall there was relief that the case
was successful. RSPB thanks BTO
ringer John Strowger, WCO PC
Colin Heath of Northumbria Police,
Cliff Harrison and Gary Palmer of the
RSPCA, and especially CPS Wildlife
Prosecutor Jonathan Moore.
4 5

Prosecutions
Woman sentenced after
destroying swallows’ nest
Prosecutions
A woman was convicted after she pleaded guilty to destroying
a swallows’ nest, resulting in the death of the chicks.
On 28 October 2015, Eileen
Spencer, 62, of Wethersfield
Road, Colchester, pleaded guilty
at Colchester Magistrates’ Court
to intentionally destroying an active
swallows’ nest, contrary to the
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
She was ordered to pay £515 costs
and received a conditional discharge.
The court heard that Spencer
climbed a ladder with a pole in
her hand, and used it to intentionally
destroy the nest outside her home
on 10 June 2015.
RSPCA officers were called to
the site and found three nestling
swallows on the ground next to
the smashed nest on her driveway.
When the chicks were found,
they were already very cold
and later died.
In court, Spencer described
her actions as impulsive.
Following the case, RSPCA
Inspector Caroline Richardson-Braun
said: “It was shocking to find a nest
destroyed in this way. This is the
first case that I have come across
of this nature. It was horrifying
that someone would want to cause
harm to baby birds in this cruel way.”
RSPCA
Above: the post from Facebook
Deer killing in London
– man sentenced
A poacher has been given suspended sentences and a 200-hour community
order after injuring a deer in Croydon, driving it home, slitting its throat and
cooking it – and then boasting about his exploits on Facebook.
Once the young swallow chicks’ home was destroyed by Spencer, the featherless
birds lost body heat and did not survive
On 7 September 2015, Mian
Zeeshan Shahid, 32, of Wattendon
Road, Kenley, London, pleaded
guilty at Croydon Magistrates’
Court to taking a deer, contrary to
the Deer Act 1991, and for causing
unnecessary suffering, contrary to
the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Shahid was sentenced to four
months for the unnecessary
suffering offence and three months
concurrent for taking the deer.
The sentences were suspended for
two years. Shahid was ordered to
complete 200 hours of unpaid work.
On 23 December 2014, Shahid
took a deer from a field in Mitchley
Avenue, South Croydon. He
transported it alive and injured
to his address in Kenley. Once
he arrived at home, he killed
the deer by cutting its throat.
A member of the public called the
Metropolitan Police to report that
she had witnessed a man taking
away an injured deer in a vehicle.
On the same day, Shahid posted
an update on a Facebook group
called Deer Stalkers International.
He boasted how he had killed a
deer and “made a good meal for
10 people”. Users of the group
forwarded Shahid’s post to
the police.
Officers from the Metropolitan
Police Wildlife Crime Unit executed
a warrant on 18 February 2015.
He was charged on 26 June with
the two offences. A forfeiture order
was made in relation to the air
weapons and hunting gear
seized at Shahid’s address.
Police Constable Ian Reeve,
Croydon Wildlife Crime officer,
said: “Shahid caused the deer
he caught a prolonged, painful
and unnecessary death.
“Ultimately, his boasting on
the Internet and reports from
eagle-eyed members of the
public helped us to catch him
and bring him before a court.”
6
7

Prosecutions
Bat conviction in
Worcestershire
Prosecutions
Rosie Corner
An early guilty plea leads to a £1,000 reduction in fines, following the illegal
destruction of a bat roost.
Daniel Hargreaves
On 29 July 2015, Stephen Donald
Taylor, 55, of Berrow Green Road,
Martley, pleaded guilty at Redditch
Magistrates’ Court to unlawfully
destroying the resting place of a
European Protected Species,
contrary to Regulation 41 of The
Conservation of Habitats and
Species Regulations 2010. He was
fined £2,300 and ordered to pay
costs of £270. In imposing
sentence, the magistrates made
the point that the fine was initially
set at £3,500 but had been reduced
in order to take account of Taylor’s
early guilty plea.
In 2014, Taylor bought a property
to be his home, but he intended to
improve it before moving in.
To support his planning application,
a bat survey was undertaken by a
consultant ecologist who identified
roosts of solitary common and
soprano pipistrelles. The report
stated there was a need to obtain
a licence from Natural England (NE)
before undertaking work that would
impact on the roosts.
Despite this advice, in autumn
2014 Taylor stripped the roof of his
house and carried out work which
destroyed the roosts. In his defence,
it was said that Taylor was confused
about the licensing process and had
unsuccessfully sought advice from
a number of sources about how to
lawfully strip the roof. The court
was told that since being reported
for the offence, Taylor had provided
mitigation far beyond what might
have been required as a condition
of any licence. There was general
acceptance that the destroyed
roosts had not been used as a
maternity or a hibernation roost
and that the offence caused
minimal ecological impact.
In sentencing, the magistrates
said they accepted that Taylor
may have been confused about
the licensing requirements, but
nevertheless the onus was on
him to do things properly.
A common pipistrelle roost was destroyed when one of the buildings was demolished
London bat case
Fines and costs for bat roost removal cost developers more than £5,000.
On 17 September 2015, City and
Westminster Developments of
Aston Mews, 103 Kilburn Lane,
London W10 4AN, pleaded guilty
at Hendon Magistrates’ Court to
destroying bat roosts at Great
North Way, Barnet, contrary to
Regulation 41 of The Conservation
of Habitats and Species
Regulations 2010. The company
was fined £4,500 and ordered
to pay £85 costs plus a
victim surcharge of £450.
In order to develop an area
of land, City and Westminster
Developments wanted to demolish
four buildings. Bat surveys were
undertaken, with roosts identified
in three of the buildings. Despite
being aware of the roosts, on
19 August 2014, demolition of
one building took place, destroying
a common pipistrelle roost.
This case is of significance as it is
the first prosecution of this nature
within the Metropolitan Police area.
The Bat Conservation Trust is
grateful to DC Sarah Bailey of the
force’s Wildlife Crime Unit and to
the CPS for its work on this case.
More bat roosts destroyed
Failing to wait for a licence to be processed before working on a property with
long-eared and pipistrelle bats led to a court appearance, and a £1,500 fine.
On 18 September 2015,
Timothy Bull, of Mosley Mews,
Rolleston-on-Dove, Staffordshire,
pleaded guilty at Burton upon Trent
Magistrates’ Court to destroying
common pipistrelle and brown
long-eared bat roosts at Beech
Lane, Stretton, Burton upon Trent,
contrary to The Conservation of
Habitats and Species Regulations
2010. He was fined £1,500 and
ordered to pay costs of £85 plus a
victim surcharge of £120.
Bull initially engaged with his
ecological consultant about a
licence application being submitted
to Natural England. However, Bull
destroyed the roosts before any
licence was issued.
The Bat Conservation Trust thanks
investigating officer DC Steven
Thornhill of Staffordshire Police
and the CPS specialist wildlife
crime prosecutor Stephen Davies
for their work on this case.
Paul Sutherland
Soprano pipistrelles were known to be roosting in the building
In 2014, Bull applied for planning
permission to develop a property.
A bat survey was undertaken and
revealed the presence of roosts
used by three common pipistrelles
and one brown long-eared bat.
All UK bat species, including
long-eared bats, are legally
protected by domestic and
international legislation
8
9

SSPCA
Prosecutions
The badger died with his head partially suspended from a live electric fence
Insects help convict
illegal snarer
The use of forensic entomology by the Scottish Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) has helped convict a gamekeeper for snaring
offences that resulted in the death of a badger.
On 3 November 2015, George
Allan, 61, of Skene, Aberdeenshire,
appeared for sentencing at
Aberdeen Sheriff Court. Allan had
previously pleaded guilty to setting
a snare, failing to inspect it within
24 hours and failing to fit the
necessary identity tags, contrary
to the Wildlife and Countryside Act
1981 as amended by the Wildlife
and Natural Environment Act 2011.
He was fined £600.
In July 2014, a member of the public
reported a dead badger in a snare
to the SSPCA near Easter Skene,
Aberdeenshire, on the Dunecht
Estate. The snare, secured to a tree,
had been set close to an electric
fence and, as the badger had
attempted to escape, the snare
wire had wrapped around the
electrified strand. The badger
carcass was recovered.
A post-mortem examination,
undertaken by SAC Consulting,
indicated the animal had died
of asphyxiation. It is believed the
snare wire had become so twisted
during the animal’s attempts to
escape that it prevented it sliding
back through the running eye to
release the pressure. The
examination also found many fly
eggs and first stage larvae around
the neck, legs and anus. The fly
larvae were collected and stored.
There is a legal requirement to
check snares every 24 hours, so this
discovery raised a question: how
long would it take for the larvae to
develop after the badger had died?
After liaison with the PAW
(Partnership for Action Against
Wildlife Crime) Forensic Working
Group (FWG), arrangements were
made for an examination of the
larvae by Dr Amoret Whitaker of the
Forensic Entomology Unit of the
Natural History Museum (NHM).
The funding of this work was
supported through the FWG
Forensic Analysis Fund (see
pawfwg.org for more details).
This examination found eggs and
first stage larvae of a bluebottle
and a greenbottle species. Using
local weather and temperature
information, it was established
that the larvae of both species
were likely to take at least a day
to emerge after the eggs were
laid. This time would have been
in addition to however long the
badger had been alive while held
in the snare.
Commenting on the investigation
and court case, an SSPCA inspector
said: “The badger’s head was
partially suspended from a live
electric fence and would have been
subjected to a continuous electric
current. This is the first time
forensic entomology has been used
in an SSPCA investigation and we
wish to thank SAC Consulting, the
NHM and the FWG for their
expertise and financial assistance.”
Second Scottish vicarious
liability conviction
Prosecutions
Once again a vicarious liability prosecution has been successful, and has
forced an estate owner to take responsibility for an employee who illegally
trapped and killed a bird of prey.
On 1 December 2015 at Stirling
Sheriff court, Graham Christie, a
self-employed game farmer, pleaded
guilty to an offence contrary to
Section 18(A) of the Wildlife and
Countryside Act 1981. Christie
was fined £3,200 after admitting
his liability for the crimes committed
by James O’Reilly, a gamekeeper
employed by him.
This is the second conviction
under this legislation. The law was
introduced early in 2012 to try to
tackle raptor persecution by
encouraging landowners,
employers, and those with
responsibility in connection with
shooting to be diligent in countering
wildlife crime. It meant that Christie
was responsible for O’Reilly’s
actions, unless he could show
he took all reasonable steps and
exercised all due diligence to
prevent O’Reilly from committing
Pole trap conviction overturned
The court found that it could not be established that the owner of a game
farm had knowingly permitted the use of pole traps.
On the 27 November 2015, Michael
Wood, owner of a farm at Cropton,
North Yorkshire, had his conviction
overturned at York Crown Court.
The court ordered he cover his
own defence costs.
In July 2013, a member of the public
handed the RSPB the decomposed
corpse of a tawny owl, which was
claimed to have been found in
a pole trap set close to game
rearing pens near Cropton in
North Yorkshire. A post mortem
examination confirmed tissue
damage to one leg but was
unable to establish a cause of
death. The RSPB visited the site
to find the trap still in situ, with
offences. Christie was asked by
police how he was able to ensure
everything was done properly and
professionally. Christie stated:
“Well, I can only tell that by the
amount of pheasants that were
shown on a shoot day and that
he was very good to be fair”.
O’Reilly was convicted on 24 April
2015, and sentenced on 20 May,
having pleaded guilty to four charges
under the Wildlife and Countryside
Act 1981, including intentionally
trapping and injuring a buzzard by
using an illegal gin trap on Cardross
Estate in March 2013. In response
to the vicarious liability conviction,
Ian Thomson, RSPB Scotland’s
Head of Investigations, said: “It is
shocking that in 21st century
Scotland, someone employed as a
professional gamekeeper has not
only unlawfully targeted protected
birds of prey, but has used a trap
the safety catch on. A covert
camera was installed by the RSPB.
However, it remains unknown who
was responsible for this trap.
RSPB Investigations Officers
returned in 2014 and observed two
pole traps on another part of the
farm. A covert camera recorded a
member of staff twice resetting one
of these, and events at the site led
to the case against Wood (see Legal
Eagle 76). In total, five set pole traps
were recovered by North Yorkshire
Police, and two members of staff
were later cautioned.
At the original trial, Wood suggested
it was too dark to see the traps
that has been illegal for decades.
It is appalling that a game farmer is
so preoccupied with the production
of pheasants for sport shooting that
he has disregarded his responsibility
to ensure that his employee was
complying with the law. The recent
Review of Wildlife Crime Penalties
recognised that sentences for
wildlife crimes are too low.
The RSPB hopes the Scottish
Government implements the
recommendations made by the
review panel as soon as possible”.
The RSPB welcomes this conviction
and thanks the SSPCA, the Crown
Office and Police Scotland. It is
hoped that this conviction sends
out two clear messages: Scotland’s
birds of prey are fully protected by
law, and it is the responsibility of all
those involved in the ownership or
management of game bird shoots to
ensure they comply with legislation.
during a chance visit to the site,
though his wife gave contradictory
evidence about the nature of the
visit. The admissibility of the RSPB
surveillance evidence was
challenged by the defence,
but accepted by the court.
At the appeal, the light level,
as shown on RSPB photographs,
was accepted and the surveillance
evidence was not contested. Wood
maintained he had not seen the
traps and the court accepted it could
not be established he had knowingly
permitted their use. The RSPB
thanks North Yorkshire Police, the
CPS, and barrister Laurie Scott who
dealt with the appeal.
10
11

News
Shot peregrine
rehabilitated and released
A juvenile peregrine was found shot in Suffolk in August 2014. Since
then, the bird has had extensive specialist care and has been successfully
released back into the wild. BTO ringer Peter Wilkinson takes up the story.
Returning injured birds of prey to
the wild takes time, determination
and skill, but can be very rewarding.
The Raptor Foundation, near St Ives,
Cambridgeshire, has many years’
experience of rehabilitating birds of
prey. When the juvenile peregrine
was found shot in Suffolk in August
2014, the RSPB Investigations team
suggested that she should be taken
to the centre.
X-rays showed that Madam (as she
quickly became known) had shotgun
pellets in her body, wing and a toe.
Fortunately none of these injuries
were life-threatening, but if the one
in her toe had resulted in the loss of
use of the foot, her return to the
wild would have been impossible.
Simon Dudhill, the volunteer
hospital manager at the Foundation,
spent considerable time providing
physiotherapy to Madam’s toe over
several weeks.
Once it became clear that she
had adequate grip in that foot
and that release was a realistic
prospect, Liz Blows, founder of
the Raptor Foundation, helped
Madam to regain the fitness she
would need to survive in the wild.
Madam also needed to moult
out a number of feathers that
had been damaged.
First she had to be taught to sit
on the fist, and then she was
flown increasing distances while
attached to a line (in falconry
terms, a creance).
Finally, the day came when she
had grown her new feathers and
she was judged fit enough to go
back to the wild.
On 20 October 2015, Madam was
released back into the wild, in front
of an admiring group. Only time will
tell whether she survives, but the
dedication and determination of
all at the Raptor Foundation has
given her the best possible chance.
Fingers crossed for her and kudos
to the Raptor Foundation.
Simon Dudhill and Liz Blows, both from the Raptor Foundation, just before Madam was released.
Peter Wilkinson
News
Peregrine chicks stolen from
South Yorkshire quarry
An RSPB covert surveillance camera has caught a man raiding a peregrine
falcon nest site in South Yorkshire.
In spring 2015, the RSPB
Investigations team was told that
a peregrine nest site in a quarry in
South Yorkshire had been robbed
the previous year. After liaison with
SK58 Birders, a Yorkshire bird study
group, it was feared criminals might
try to target the nest again.
RSPB Investigations staff
visited the active nest and set
up a covert surveillance camera.
The nest failed, so we reviewed
the footage. This showed, during
the afternoon of 8 May 2015,
a man climbing to the nest and
removing a chick.
The footage was passed to South
Yorkshire Police, and the National
Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) was
notified. Following enquiries,
the police have issued an appeal
to the public to try to identify the
suspect. The RSPB is offering
a reward of £1,000 for information
leading to the successful conviction
of the offender. Contact South
Yorkshire Police on 101 or the
RSPB on 01767 680551 if you
have any information.
The full video of the robbery
can be viewed at youtube.com/
watch?v=fZJ7xo3FGCc
Do you know this man?
Can the RSPB Rope Access
Team help you?
The RSPB Investigations Section, which now has four trained Rope Access
staff, is ready to assist police or other agencies tackling high-level wildlife crime.
The nature of wildlife crime often
means that recovery of evidence
and related enquiries can be
problematic because of lack of
access to difficult locations. This is
particularly the case with offences
relating to tree- and cliff-nesting
species, such as birds of prey.
Over the years, the RSPB has
used rope access techniques
in numerous wildlife crime
investigations, often assisting
statutory agencies.
This has included the recovery of
illegally killed birds and abandoned
eggs, the recovery of traps illegally
set on peregrine nest sites and
returning falcon chicks to alternative
foster nests.
The recent case in Bury (see
page three), when two illegally
taken peregrine chicks were
fostered into a wild nest, shows
the advantages of such facilities.
Howard Jones, based in the north
of England, has recently trained in
Rope Access and is part of the
RSPB’s Rope Access Team.
If you feel that the team can assist
with your investigations, please
contact the RSPB Investigations
Section on 01767 680551.
The RSPB Rope Access Team
returning a peregrine to the wild
RSPB James Leonard (RSPB)
12
13

Number of birds
News
Peregrines in the spotlight
The recent conviction at Bury Magistrates (page three) and chick robbery
near Sheffield (page 13) highlight the long history of problems for peregrines.
Since the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the RSPB has recorded
346 confirmed incidents of persecution against peregrines in the UK
and 625 confirmed incidents of the taking of eggs and chicks.
Until the early 1990s, many wild
peregrines were being taken and
laundered into the captive falconry
market. The use of DNA profiling,
in conjunction with government
registration records, exposed this
widespread problem and led to
several high-profile convictions.
Despite this success, rather than
building on the strengths of this
law and improving it with new
technology, the legislation was
reduced. From 2008 it has
covered only nine species,
despite strong opposition
from the police, conservation
organisations and the Joint
Nature Conservation Committee
(JNCC) – the government’s own
scientific advisers.
Significantly, the registration
requirements for peregrines
were relaxed, allowing birds to
be registered with an Article 10
Certificate. This meant that, once
birds left the breeder, there was
no audit trail, so no knowledge
of where the birds should be.
In recent years there has been
a significant price increase in the
value of peregrine falcons. The sport
of falcon racing in the Middle East
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com)
seems to have helped to fuel this
demand. A recent Freedom of
Information (FOI) request made
by the RSPB about the number
Number of UK captive peregrine offspring
Nearly 1,000 crimes against peregrines confirmed since 1981
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Year
of peregrines declared as captive
bred is shown in the graph below.
In 2005, numbers of offspring were
around the same level as the mid
1990s. However, in the last few
years there has been a significant
increase in the number of declared
offspring. This may well be a
response to the increased value of
this species. But is this encouraging
the taking of wild birds too?
The absence of full registration
controls now makes enquiries into
suspected laundering of wild birds
significantly more difficult. To
support the UK Raptor Persecution
priority, the RSPB believes that the
government should reinstate full
registration controls.
News
General Licence restrictions
in wildlife crime hotspots
On 4 November 2015, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) announced that it had
restricted the use of General Licences on four properties. It was believed that
there was sufficient evidence of crimes against birds of prey in recent years
at these properties. The licences have been suspended for three years.
Duncan Orr-Ewing, Head of
Species and Land Management
at RSPB Scotland, said: “We
welcome the continued
commitment of the Minister and
Scottish Government to tackling
wildlife crime. This is confirmation
that the Open General Licence will
be removed from land where
Scottish Natural Heritage is
satisfied that there is sufficient
evidence of crimes against birds of
prey in recent years. The use of the
Open General Licence to control
what are considered by some to be
pest species of bird, including
crows and magpies, for
Report raises concerns over
Scottish grouse moor management
A new report, commissioned by the League Against Cruel Sports, has
highlighted concerns about the management of grouse moorlands.
In October 2015, the League
Against Cruel Sports (The League)
published The Intensification of
Grouse Moor Management in
Scotland. It was written by land
reform campaigner Andy Wightman
and raptor conservationist expert
Dr Ruth Tingay. The report focuses
on grouse moors in the context
of Scottish Land Reform, and
raises concerns that intensive
management of grouse moorlands
is reducing biodiversity, and is in
direct conflict with conservation
best practice.
Concerns outlined include:
• The annual burning of heather,
which releases carbon and
reduces biodiversity.
• Wholesale removal of native
animals, such as stoats,
conservation and other legal
purposes, is a privilege – not a
right. This activity is undertaken
as derogation from the provision
under the European Union Birds
Directive, which affords protection
to all native bird species, so it is
right that the highest standards
are met.
“The removal of the Open General
Licence is an important part of the
toolkit available to the public
authorities to act as a meaningful
deterrent to the serious problem of
the illegal killing of birds of prey in
parts of Scotland. It is underpinned
mountain hares and foxes.
• The absence of breeding birds
of prey, such as hen harriers.
• Medicinal grit being spread
around the moors to reduce
disease in grouse.
The report also raises concerns
about economic issues relating
to grouse moor management.
It is argued that, while some
landowners receive up to £300,000
in subsidies each year, their grouse
shoots contribute very little to local
economies. The report also claims
the industry provides fewer than
3,000 full-time equivalent jobs with
an average salary of £11,401 –
which is less than the minimum
wage. And despite being
subsidised by tax-payers, land is
fenced off and made inaccessible
by what is now a clear body of
evidence confirming the scale and
detrimental impact of these crimes
on the populations of bird species
including the golden eagle, hen
harrier and red kite.
“This wider toolkit for combating
wildlife crime also includes the
prosecution of landowners for
vicarious liability for the actions
of their employees in cases of
confirmed crimes against birds of
prey, unless they have taken steps
of due diligence to prevent this
activity from occurring.”
to the public. To read a copy of the
report visit bit.ly/grousereport
14 15

News
Wildlife Crime
Awareness Week
18–25 October 2015 was the second annual
Wildlife Crime Awareness Week held in the UK.
It was organised by World Animal
Protection and Crimestoppers, and
many police forces got involved.
Celebrities, including Stephen Fry
(below) and Michaela Strachan,
showed their support.
The event focused on making sure
the British public understand what
wildlife crime is, how to spot it, and
who they should report it to.
People may be forgiven for thinking
that wildlife crime is an issue that
mainly affects other countries.
The news often concentrates
on problems such as poaching
elephants and rhinos for ivory
in Africa, and taking primates
from the wild for the pet trade,
but wildlife crime is a serious
problem here in the UK as well.
Wildlife crime can also often have
links to other serious organised
crime and anti-social behaviour.
Many police forces supported
the event, including Thames Valley,
Kent, Humberside, North Yorkshire,
Sussex, Nottinghamshire, Police
Service of Northern Ireland,
Lincolnshire and the Metropolitan
Police. They showcased their
Wildlife Crime Officers, letting
the public know what they do.
A Twitter campaign was set up,
with the hashtag “#wildlifecrime:
It’s illegal! See it, report it” to
encourage more people to
become involved.
As many police forces have their
own Twitter accounts, people can
easily report crimes or be kept up
to date on their local area.
Birdcrime 2014 report is out
The RSPB Investigations team’s annual report, Birdcrime, was published
at the end of 2015.
The report is only able to record
a fraction of the total number of
incidents, as many crimes remain
undetected, especially in remote
areas. This is recognised in a
number of scientific studies
and Government reports: illegal
persecution is preventing the full
recovery of populations of some
of our most charismatic raptors,
including hen harriers, golden
eagles and peregrines.In 2014
we received 179 reports of shooting
and destruction of birds of prey,
including 23 buzzards, nine
peregrines, three red kites and a
hen harrier. There were 72 incidents
of wildlife poisoning and pesticiderelated
officences. Victims include
23 red kites, nine buzzards and
four peregrines. 19 individuals were
prosecuted for wild bird related
offences. These included the first
person – a Scottish gamekeeper –
to be sent to jail for raptor
persecution offences, and
a gamekeeper who received
a suspended jail sentence for
England’s worst raptor poisioning
case. The first vicarious liability
case led to the landowner losing
£66,000 in subsidies. We are calling
for better implementation and
enforcement of wildlife laws. To
read more, go to rspb.org.uk/
birdcrimereport
News
New full-time Wildlife and
Environmental Crime Officer
for Police Scotland
As part of a continued effort to tackle wildlife
crime, Police Scotland Highland and Islands
Division has recently appointed a full-time
Wildlife and Environmental Crime Officer.
Police Constable Daniel Sutherland,
who is based at Dingwall Police
Station, has experience tackling
crime in a number of specialist
areas, including community policing
and wildlife crime.
Daniel said: “Since the very
beginning of my police career,
I’ve been interested and involved in
tackling wildlife crime. I have been
a part-time Wildlife Crime Officer
(WCO) since 2012, which has only
served to increase my knowledge
of legislation and the policing
processes in this particular area.
I have always been an outdoors
enthusiast and have a keen interest
in the wildlife and the environment
The report states that 779
protected raptors were illegally
killed in Scotland between 1994
and 2014. 468 birds of prey were
poisoned, 173 shot and 76 caught
in illegal traps. There were also
seven attempted shootings. The
confirmed offences included 104
red kites, 37 golden eagles, 30
hen harriers, 16 goshawks and
10 white-tailed eagles. The report
deals only with incidents confirmed
as involving criminal activity: the
number killed will be higher. In a
further 171 incidents, poison baits
and/or non-bird of prey victims of
poisoning were found, including
that go with it. I am delighted to
now have a more proactive role
in this particular area.”
To support the wider work of PAW
Scotland, Daniel plans to build
new relationships with partnership
agencies to tackle issues of wildlife
crime, and strengthen links with
current partner agencies. The aim is
to prevent incidents occurring, using
education and by deterring and
detecting wildlife crime, both locally
and nationally. This will include
building awareness of wildlife and
rural crime, with assistance from
Scottish Partners Against Rural
Crime and Rural Watch. Daniel is
keen to improve specialist training
Dan is pleased to have a
more proactive role tackling
wildlife crime
for WCOs, and is taking an active
role where possible on all wildlife
crime incidents.
Chief Inspector Colin Gough, Wildlife
and Rural Crime Co-ordinator for the
Highland and Islands Division, said:
“This appointment is a very positive
step for the Highlands and Islands
and I am confident Dan will become
the focal point for partner contact
in this rapidly developing area of
our business.”
RSPB Scotland report out
A comprehensive and detailed report, covering the last 20 years of illegal
killing of birds of prey in Scotland, has been issued by RSPB Scotland.
14 cats and 14 dogs. There were
134 incidents where clear attempts
had been made to target raptors,
such as the use of illegal traps,
though no victims were found. The
report shows a significant majority
of cases are in areas associated
with game bird shooting, especially
in uplands managed intensively
for driven grouse shooting. It is
noted that there have been some
significant and welcome reductions
in the number of cases reported
from lowland areas of Scotland.
There is now well-documented
scientific evidence of the impact
of illegal killing on golden eagles,
hen harriers, peregrines, and
red kites. The JNCC Hen Harrier
Framework 2011 stated that illegal
killing had significant impact,
particularly on land managed
for driven grouse shooting in
the southern uplands and eastern
Highlands. This report on illegal
killing gives reliable data to inform
Scottish Government. It can be used
to improve conservation efforts for
our birds of prey. It re-affirms the
need for continued vigilance, good
wildlife laws, effective enforcement
powers for the police and strong
sanctions in the courts, to act
as effective deterrents.
Ileana Sandham
16 17

News
News
Guy Shorrock (RSPB)
Achievement award went to Sgt
Rob Taylor of the North Wales Police.
Chief Constable Simon Prince said it
was unlikely that wildlife crime
would beceome a policing priority,
but Authorised Professional Practice
(APP) guidance documents were
being prepared for wildlife crime.
Chief Inspector Martin Sims, Head
of the National Wildlife Crime Unit
(NWCU), told about work of his unit
and the levels of intelligence
exchange. Other significant
presentations came from Guy
Clarke of Border Force, Sue
Hemming of the CPS and Alan
Charles, the Police Crime
Commissioner for Derbyshire. There
was the usual interesting mix of
case studies and workshops.
the capacity of the statutory
agencies to address wildlife crime.
The project is grateful for support
from Procurator Fiscal Kate Fleming,
the NWCU, DC Sarah Bailey of the
Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime
Unit and the Border Force CITES
Team at Heathrow.
Once again, big thanks to
Craig Fellowes of the Wildlife
Training Consultancy for organising
the event, and for the additional
financial support provided by the
World Animal Protection and
the Humane Society International.
Guy Shorrock (RSPB)
WWF Wildlife Law Enforcer of the Year for 2015 PC Mark Goulding receiving his award
Awards presented at Wildlife
Crime Enforcers’ Conference
The 27th annual conference was held in Warwickshire in November 2015.
The conference welcomed Greek
Customs officer, Petroula Pyrgi.
Her six-day UK visit was funded
by an EU LIFE project, Return of
the Neophron, about the survival
of Egyptian vultures in the Balkans.
Part of the project seeks to improve
Fingerprinting ivory
Sgt Rob Taylor with his PAW Award and Chief Constable Simon Prince
New techniques for retrieving fingerprints from ivory have been developed.
Helen Bulmer (NWCU) and Sam Trackman’s (Border Force) received awards
The good work tackling wildlife
crime was recognised with awards.
The WWF-Sponsored Wildlife Law
Enforcer of the Year Award 2015 was
PC Mark Goulding of South Wales
Police, currently on secondment to
Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
Mark and his NRW colleauges
developed the River Taff Project,
which has helped reduce fish
poaching and a number of
prosecutions are ongoing. He was
also involved in a prosecution about
the release of wild boar following
a commercial burglary.
Helen Bulmer (NWCU) and Sam
Trackman (Border Force) received
the Wildlife Crime Operation of the
Year award for the ‘Cobra 3’ CITES
operation. PAW Certificates of Merit
went to Madeline Groves and to
Aaron Christiansen. A Lifetime
Scientists from King’s College
London and University College
London have collaborated with
imaging and fingerprint experts from
the Metropolitan Police to validate
the use of new techniques.
Their findings, published in the
journal Science and Justice, could
lead to the wider use of
fingerprinting methods in the field.
This should help to identify poachers
in regions with high levels of
ivory-related crime. Ivory itself is a
highly porous and ridged material,
so fingerprints enhanced with
conventional powders have been
largely ineffective.
In recent years, newer powders
with smaller particles have been
developed, and these show more
detail, as they require less finger
mark residue. The latest study
tested three types of powders
on elephant tusks loaned by the
Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime
Unit. It was found that two of the
newer powders were able to give
the clear, useable fingerprint detail
that is vital for identifying the donor.
The clarity of ridge detail was at its
highest within seven days after the
print was deposited, so the method
is likely to work best in regions of
the world that are closest to the
sources of ivory. However, with
the new powder, imaging and
fingerprint experts were able to lift
some useable prints up to 28 days
after they were deposited.
The researchers showed how the
powders could be used with rhino
ivory, hippo teeth and sperm
whale teeth.
It is hoped that new fingerprinting techniques for ivory
will help bring wildlife criminals to justice in the future
Metropolitan Police
18
19

News
Scotland tackles banned
pesticide stockpiles
A pesticide disposal scheme funded by the Scottish Government has
highlighted the astonishing stockpiles of highly toxic banned pesticides.
International
New report highlights
raptor persecution in
Northern Ireland
The scheme recovered more
than 100 kilograms of carbofuran
and more than 480 kilograms of
sodium cyanide products in just
three months.
Following a number of high profile
bird of prey poisoning incidents, a
free scheme was launched to help
remove stores of banned pesticides.
This operated between 23 February
and 29 May 2015, with the support
of stakeholders in PAW Scotland.
The scheme allowed those in
possession of these substances to
have them collected and disposed
of, safely and confidentially.
There were 191 requests for
disposal of illegal pesticides, some
involving more than one type of
pesticide. The table below shows
which pesticides were recovered
during the scheme.
Postcode information showed that
the highest numbers of collections
were carried out in Aberdeenshire
and Moray, the Highlands,
Perthshire and the Scottish Borders.
Due to the anonymous nature of the
scheme, it is not known what types
of premises the pesticides were
collected from, or whether any were
from stocks which had been used
for illegal poisoning in the past. The
Scottish Government and PAW
Scotland stakeholders have
welcomed the actions of those who
have taken the responsible step of
handing over these substances.
Dr Aileen McLeod, Minister for
Environment, Climate Change and
Land Reform said: “I am very
pleased that this scheme has helped
to safely remove a large volume of
highly dangerous illegal pesticides
from Scotland’s environment. The
illegal poisoning of wildlife cannot
and will not be tolerated in a
modern Scotland.
“The Scottish Government has
made tackling wildlife crime a
priority. We have the strongest laws
on wildlife crime in the UK, including
vicarious liability, which was recently
successfully used in the courts.
While it is obviously a concern that
these stocks were still out there, by
removing them from circulation now
we are removing any temptation for
them to be illegally used in future.
Nobody found in possession
of these pesticides now can have
any excuse for holding onto them.”
Ian Thomson, Head of Investigations
at RSPB Scotland, said: “We
commend the work of the Scottish
Government and the stakeholders
involved in implementing this
disposal scheme. It is indeed
good news that this amount of
illegal and dangerous pesticide
has been removed from circulation.
“It is clear, however, from
the number and distribution
of incidents where chemicals
such as carbofuran have been
used to poison protected wildlife
in recent years that a number of
individuals have held on to their
stockpiles of these chemicals.
“We trust that this scheme
represents a line in the sand,
and that anyone now convicted
of being in possession of or using
such pesticides will face the
strongest penalties available
to the courts.”
PAW NI has launched a new report detailing bird of prey
persection between 2009 and 2013.
Produced by the Raptor
Subgroup of the Partnership
for Action against Wildlife Crime
Northern Ireland (PAW NI), the
report reveals 30 incidents of illegal
poisoning or persecution that
involved 33 birds of prey.
The most frequent casualties were
buzzards (19 birds), followed by
recently re-introduced red kites
(seven) and peregrine falcons (four).
Other raptor species recorded
included a white-tailed eagle, a
golden eagle, and a merlin.
There were 10 confirmed incidents
of illegal poisoning of other wildlife
or poisoned baits found in
circumstances where birds of prey
were potential victims. Red kites
and buzzards are particularly
susceptible to poisoned baits, as
they will feed on carrion routinely.
There were an additional four
probable raptor crimes (including
another white-tailed eagle) and
eight incidents where secondary
rodenticide poisoning was recorded.
Northern Ireland. Encouragingly,
there has also been increased
co-operation between PSNI, the
NI Environment Agency and the
Health and Safety Executive NI.
During 2015 there were two
multi-agency searches, one in
a notorious blackspot in South
Armagh following the poisoning
of a buzzard, and the other in the
Magherafelt area following the
poisoning of a peregrine.
The report was made possible by
PAWNI, with input from: the PSNI,
Northern Ireland Environment
Agency (NIEA), Northern Ireland
Raptor Study Group (NIRSG), the
RSPB and the National Wildlife
Crime Unit (NWCU).
Eimear Rooney NIRSG
Pesticide (active
ingredient)
Stocks collected
Total estimated
weight (kg)
Banned since
Sodium cyanide 110 482 2004
Strychnine 68 5 2006
Aluminium phosphide 17 44
Carbofuran 10 107 2001
Mevinphos 9 29 1993
(Alpha) Chloralose 8 8
Aldicarb 5 30 2007
Unknown 4 16
Totals 231 722
Superintendent Brian Kee, Police
Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
service lead for rural and wildlife
crime, said: “This report highlights
the continued disregard for public
and wildlife safety displayed by a
small number of individuals in
Northern Ireland. These actions
which destroy our native wildlife
are illegal and the indiscriminate
use of such toxic poisons may
affect not only raptors but also
children, pets or livestock.”
The RSPB has welcomed the report
as another step in improving the
recording and investigation of
raptor persecution offences in
A poisoned red kite found on its nest in 2014
20 21

Alice Tribe
International
Georgia on my mind
Alice Tribe, RSPB Investigations Assistant, reports
on the illegal killing of birds of prey in Georgia.
The Black Sea resort of Batumi
is an important bottleneck for
migrating birds. More than a million
raptors pass over every autumn,
and this volume of birds presents
temptation to hunters, with many
birds illegally shot.
All birds of prey are protected by
law in Georgia: hunting is forbidden.
But hunting is a deeply rooted
tradition here, and high levels of
unemployment – coupled with little
knowledge of conservation issues
– make it a popular hobby. It’s quite
a poor country, so few Georgians
travel, and they don’t realise that
the vast numbers of birds passing
through is a rare event, and
something not experienced by
those living elsewhere. The hunters
seem unaware that they are doing
anything wrong. Most of the birds
shot are eaten, but many are shot
for amusement.
In September, I went to Georgia
as a volunteer for the Georgian
non-profit organisations, the Society
for Nature Conservation (SABUKO)
and Batumi Raptor Count’s Hunting
Monitoring Project. The project aims
to estimate the scale and trends of
illegal shooting and trapping of
migratory raptors, using a
non-confrontational manner.
The data gathered will be used to
try to reach an agreement between
conservationists and hunters.
One of my duties was monitoring
hunting and trapping activity.
I counted shots heard and hunters
or trappers seen, and recorded the
numbers and species killed, injured
or trapped, as well as hitting and
retrieval rates. There were several
hunting and trapping hides near my
watchpoint, and as time went on,
I began to recognise and know
some of the trappers. They were
extremely friendly, and I joined them
at their hide for food and chacha, a
Georgian brandy. We happily
communicated by hand gestures
and simple words.
One of the popular hobbies in
Georgia is falconry, which has been
practised for more than 2,000 years.
Many men trapped birds, hoping to
catch a new sparrowhawk for their
sport. The trappers catch “their”
new sparrowhawks by tying a
red-backed shrike to a stick as a
decoy, and waving it around in
front of a mist net. The shrike flaps,
and this can catch the eye of a
sparrowhawk, which may well be
captured in the net. Trappers prefer
These three steppe buzzards were among the carcasses left by
the hunters
the larger female hawks, but will
often catch several sparrowhawks
in a good day, and select the best
one for falconry. Some unwanted
sparrowhawks are released again,
and I was given the pleasure of
releasing two back into the wild.
The trappers accidentally catch
other raptor species: I saw a booted
eagle which had been caught. The
hunters told me that it would be
ringed and released. Trappers are
encouraged to ring and release
birds, but those that are not are
killed and fed to the shrikes and
captive hawks.
I also conducted body counts
to obtain an estimate of the
frequencies of the species shot.
We did this by identifying and
counting wings and feathers left
by hunters. Along our transects,
we found many remains of shot
raptors – usually wings and
feathers – as the hunters take the
body for consumption. Occasionally
we found intact carcasses. These
made me realise that the hunting
is not all about subsistence – the
hunters only get to shoot these
birds in autumn, and the rest
of the year there is enough food
for families from garden-grown
products. However, meat is an
expensive luxury, so these raptors
are seen as a good addition to
their diet.
The hunting issue can be tackled.
Two vital elements in the battle to
stop the killing is to educate the
hunters, and raise public awareness.
SABUKO and Batumi Raptor Count
are already working on these.
Georgians are some of the
friendliest people I have ever met,
and I feel it will be beneficial for the
project to keep a good relationship
going between the conservationists,
and hunters and trappers.
For more information, visit the
Batumi Raptor Count website:
www.batumiraptorcount.org
International
A farmer was convicted of poisoning six Spanish imperial eagles, which are listed as Vulnerable
Spanish farmer jailed and
fined for killing eagles
The Spanish court took the poisoning of six Iberian imperial eagles seriously,
imposing a prison sentence as well as a hefty fine and a hunting ban.
Several recent prosecutions in Spain
for wildlife crime offences (featured
in Legal Eagle 77), have shown
the UK and other countries how
seriously raptor persecution can
be taken by courts. This new case
reinforces this approach.
In October 2015, a farmer was
convicted at the Criminal Court
of Ciudad Real for laying out nine
poisoned baits and for poisoning six
Spanish imperial eagles and a fox.
Spanish imperial eagles are listed as
Vulnerable by the International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The defendant was sentenced to
18 months in jail and given a
three-year hunting disqualification.
He was ordered to pay
compensation in respect of liability
of €360,000 (about £254,000) to
the Regional Government of
Castile-La-Mancha due to the
value of the species affected.
The incident was discovered in
January 2012 in the area of Viso del
Marques. Environmental agents
from the research unit created under
the LIFE+ VENENO (poison) project,
co-ordinated by the Spanish BirdLife
partner, SEO/BirdLife (which aims
to significantly reduce the use of
poison in Spain), and the Nature
Protection Service (SEPRONA)
went to the area. Both groups took
their canine units along, and they
managed to find the carcasses of six
Spanish imperial eagles, a fox and
the nine poisoned baits.
During the trial it was proved that
the death of the animals was
caused by poisoning by a powerful
carbamate insecticide. This was
the compound used to lace the
baits which were found. They had
been placed by the accused at his
farm with the purpose of killing
predators that attacked sheep
and chickens at his farm.
David de la Bodega, the LIFE Project
Co-ordinator, said: “The use of
poison is one of the greatest threats
to wildlife and the accused faces
significant sanctions. Society cannot
be indifferent to these heinous acts
and should report possible cases of
use of poisons. The damage has
been significant because of the
number of dead birds and their
conservation status. There are
only 150 pairs of imperial eagles in
Castile-La-Mancha, so the loss of six
birds poses a serious impact on
this species.”
22 23
Roger Tidman (rspb-images.com)

Courtesy of NERF
And finally…
Mick Carroll (26/8/47 – 21/10/15)
Raptor worker Mick Carroll has sadly died.
Steve Downing of the North of England Raptor
Forum (NERF) tells us about him.
“Mick was born in Lancashire, and
as a young boy he visited the moors
to see short-eared owls and other
upland birds. These first experiences
led to his passion for ornithology. He
worked on a hill farm before joining
the RAF. At 30 he was invalided out
of military service and he returned
to farming. Unfortunately, a back
injury forced him to give up farming
and he took several environmentbased
jobs, including one on an
RSPB reserve.
“He worked tirelessly for nature
as President of Scarborough Field
Naturalists, Chairman of the
Ryedale Naturalists, Regional
BTO Representative, Executive
Committee member of the Whitby
Naturalists’ Club and Yorkshire
Naturalists’ Union, Chairman of
the South Ryedale & East Yorkshire
Raptor Study Group and member
of NERF. Mick had a passion for
hen harriers and worked as a
volunteer for Natural England.
Despite recent poor health, he
continued to go to the uplands to
study birds. He was diagnosed with
cancer in 2014 and passed away in
October 2015.
PAW
PAW is The Partnership
for Action Against Wildlife
Crime, a multi-agency body of
organisations involved in wildlife
law enforcement in the UK.
PAW provides opportunities for
statutory and non-governmental
organisations to work together
to combat wildlife crime, and to
promote the enforcement of wildlife
conservation legislation, particularly
through supporting the networks
of Police Wildlife Crime Officers
and officers from HM Revenue and
Customs and the UK Border Agency.
Want more info?
Visit defra.gov.uk/paw
The RSPB
UK Headquarters
The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL
Tel: 01767 680551
Scotland Headquarters
2 Lochside View,
Edinburgh Park, Edinburgh EH12 9DH
Tel: 0131 317 4100
Mick Carroll: a wildlife warrior
“NERF and the RSPB would like to
celebrate Mick’s achievements and
extend our sympathies to his wife,
Helene, and his family.”
Northern Ireland Headquarters
Belvoir Park Forest, Belfast BT8 7QT
Tel: 028 9049 1547
Wales Headquarters
Sutherland House, Castlebridge,
Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff CF11 9AB
Tel: 029 2035 3000
W C O
KEEPING
WILDLIFE
CRIME OFFICERS
INFORMED
Write to be read
We welcome contributions to Legal Eagle. Please let us know about wildlife crime initiatives,
news, events and prosecutions in your force. Send your articles and mailing list updates to The
Editor, The RSPB, Investigations Section, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, by e-mail to
alice.tribe@rspb.org.uk or telephone 01767 680551. The views expressed in Legal Eagle are not
necessarily those of the RSPB or PAW.
The RSPB is the country’s largest nature conservation charity,
inspiring everyone to give nature a home.
The RSPB is a member of BirdLife International, a partnership to
give nature a home around the world.
The RSPB is a registered charity in England and Wales 207076,
in Scotland SC037654. 232-1518-15-16
Cover photo: Guy Shorrock (RSPB)
For more information on wild birds and the law, visit rspb.org.uk/birdlaw
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