22,000 Scots call for an end to the killing'

A petition, back by almost 22000 pledges from the Scottish public, has been handed to the Scottish Parliament , demanding tougher action to tackle the illegal killing of birds of prey.

RSPB Scotland Director Stuart Housden presented the document, which is in his name and represents over 86,000 RSPB members and 21,962 individual pledges, outside the Scottish Parliament to the Convenor of the Public Petitions Committee, Frank McAveety.

At the same time, supporters formed a giant mosaic of a peregrine falcon to show their backing for the campaign.

Stuart Housden, director of RSPB Scotland, said: “Since June 2008 RSPB Scotland has been collecting pledges from the thousands of people horrified by the unnecessary deaths of iconic birds such as the Golden Eagle, Red Kite and Hen Harrier. The huge response that we have had just shows that many, many people in Scotland, like us, are rightly appalled that birds of prey continue to be killed in our countryside.”

Bird of prey numbers are slowly recovering, after persecution and pesticide poisoning saw them pushed to the brink of local extinction, this has been greatly helped by the efforts of conservationists, landowners and gamekeepers. Yet despite this strong support figures suggest that in the past decade, prior to 2009, 300 protected birds of prey have been illegal poisoned, while over 100 were confirmed victims of illegal shooting, trapping or nest destruction.

Mr Housden added; “This petition urges MSPs to do more to end the illegal killing of birds of prey by implementing various recommendations made in the recent Thematic Review of Wildlife Crime. It also calls for more resources for the police and Procurator Fiscals, as well as greater recognition of the economic benefits of these species.

Birds such as the magnificent White-tailed Sea Eagle have already been wiped out in Scotland once before. We have to ensure recent, and future, reintroduction projects are not in vain and that all birds of prey are free from the threat of these despicable crimes.”

Video of the Hand In



A brief history

Pre 1700s Most raptors were common and widespread in the United Kingdom.

1800s Advent of the breach loaded gun and a better transport network. Popularity of recreational shooting increased. The conflict between raptors and shooting had begun.

1900s white-tailed eagle, goshawk, marsh harrier, honey buzzard AND osprey EXTINCT

1980s The Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) and the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order (1985) became law.