Birds of prey still at risk
Illegal killing of birds continues despite new laws, says RSPB
The RSPB Scotland has warned that birds of prey are still at risk from illegal poisoning, shooting and trapping, despite new wildlife laws.
A report from the charity says that a lack of resources for wildlife law enforcement agents, combined with failures of the court system, mean that attempts to prosecute the perpetrators often fail.
The organisation has called for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland to suppport the appointment of full time wildlife crime officers in each Scottish police force. A dedicated officer was appointed in Lothian and Borders earlier this year.
In its report, the RSPB says it received 80 allegations of reports of poisoning in 2004 - compared with 63 in 2003 and 25 in 1999. Buzzards were the most common bird to be poisoned, with 40 found dead.
Despite schemes backed by the Scottish Executive to tackle wildlife crime, the RSPB says few cases are brought because many of the crimes are committed in rural areas and offenders are unlikely to be caught.
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