Rogue gamekeepers killing birds of prey, says RSPB

More than 1,300 protected birds of prey – from hen harriers to aureate eagles - person been killed crossed the UK implicit the past 15 years, according to the RSPB.

It described the deaths arsenic a “national disgrace” and blamed the bulk of incidents connected rogue gamekeepers trying to support stocks of pheasant, partridge and grouse connected countryside shooting estates.

One uncommon witnesser to an amerciable shooting successful the Peak District told the BBC helium was disgusted and that the killings were “wrong connected each level".

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (Basc) said its members had "absolutely zero tolerance" of the amerciable shooting of birds of prey.

The RSPB said the fig of killings recorded was apt conscionable the extremity of the iceberg arsenic they often happened successful distant parts of the countryside and were truthful hard to detect.

One birdwatcher, who spotted a short-eared owl supra moorland successful the Peak District lone to spot it changeable retired of the sky, agreed to talk to the BBC anonymously arsenic helium feared reprisals for reporting the sidesplitting to the police.

He said the sidesplitting was “wrong connected each level”, explaining: "This was an owl which was doing nary wrong, a beauteous vertebrate radical spell retired of their mode to watch, and idiosyncratic had thought 'I tin sprout that!'."

"Whilst I was watching, it efficaciously went puff and it disappeared. I instantly knew what had happened. At that constituent I was successful utter, good daze wasn’t the word, but I was conscionable disgusted by what I had seen. Then it occurred to maine determination was a feline connected the moor.

"The 1 happening that came to my caput is that the feline who changeable the owl would person changeable immoderate vertebrate of prey that came towards him astatine that point. He made nary distinction. It came, bang, it was gone.”

The witnesser reported the shooting to the constabulary and helped them to find the assemblage of the owl. No-one was prosecuted implicit the incidental which took spot 2 years ago.

The RSPB said that, of those that person been prosecuted for sidesplitting birds of prey implicit the past 15 years, 3 quarters had links to shooting estates oregon were gamekeepers.

The organisation said that was due to the fact that gamekeepers are trying to support their grouse, pheasants and partridge - and the profits they bring.

The shooting manufacture says it is worthy astir £3.3bn to the UK system each year.

Its supporters importune property owners and their onshore managers bash overmuch to support the countryside and its wildlife.

Gareth Dockerty, from Basc, told the BBC: "We person perfectly zero tolerance for immoderate signifier of amerciable sidesplitting of birds of prey.

"There is nary spot for immoderate amerciable activity. We person stood up and said that before, and we'll accidental it again.

"Fortunately, for our sector, it's a very, precise tiny number of people, and if anybody that was a subordinate of Basc was to beryllium recovered blameworthy of immoderate wildlife crime, they would beryllium expelled from the organisation."

Mr Dockerty added that astir £500m was enactment into conservation by the sprout manufacture each year.

"We tin supply invaluable habitats for a multitude of species, including birds of prey, truthful I deliberation we really person a precise bully way grounds successful what we tin present for quality conservation, and to code our declines successful species."

A spokesperson for the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation insisted that birds of prey were "thriving connected onshore managed for shooting" and that its members were achieving "enormous conservation successes".

"It is disappointing that the RSPB volition not enactment unneurotic with organisations specified arsenic ours, for the bully of each vertebrate species," helium added.

The Moorland Association, which represents grouse moor property owners successful England and Wales, said the RSPB study was "completely disingenuous".

Andrew Gilruth, the association's main executive, said the fig of birds of prey killed was a tiny percent of the full population.

“Rather than proceed to onslaught agrarian communities with sweeping generalisations, wherefore is the foundation not celebrating this success?" helium said.

All birds of prey are protected by instrumentality but the RSPB said that, retired of 62 prosecutions implicit the past 15 years, lone 1 idiosyncratic was jailed.

The organisation is present calling for each the UK’s devolved nations to travel Scotland’s example and bring successful licensing for grouse moor estates.

"That means if immoderate offences hap connected a peculiar sprout that property tin suffer the quality to sprout connected there. The licence is revoked for a fig of years," explained Mark Thomas, the RSPB’s caput of investigations.

"Unfortunately we bash not person that successful the remainder of the UK. We request to spot wider licensing peculiarly for grouse moors successful England and pheasant and partridge shooting successful the lowlands of the UK."

The administrations of England, Wales and Nothern Ireland told the BBC that determination are beardown penalties successful spot for crimes committed against birds of prey but determination were presently nary plans for the caller licensing of shooting estates.

In the meantime, Mr Thomas called connected birdwatchers and countryside walkers to study immoderate incidents they spot to the RSPB and to the police.

"This has to stop. The sidesplitting has to stop," helium said.