Month: March 2010

Gamekeeper convicted of crimes on Innes House Estate, Moray

Police raided Innes House Estate near Elgin, Moray in November 2006 after dying buzzards and crows were seen in a nearby field. Later laboratory testing confirmed the birds carried traces of Carbofuran.

At Elgin Sheriff Court on 30 April 2007, head gamekeeper Michael Royan was found guilty of possessing proscribed pesticides (Carbofuran, Cymag & Alphachloralose) and he was also convicted of a firearms offence. He was fined £1,000.

According to the 2010 Innes House Estate website, Michael Royan is still employed as Head Gamekeeper.

Gamekeeper convicted of poisoning offences on North Glenbuchat Estate, Aberdeenshire

 At Aberdeen Sheriff Court on 12 July 2006, the head gamekeeper on the North Glenbuchat Estate, Strathdon, Aberdeenshire, was found guilty of three offences: killing a wild bird, possession of birds’ eggs, and possession of a proscribed pesticide under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981.

The 56 year old head keeper, Hector McNeil, of Whitehillock, Glenbuchat, had worked as a gamekeeper on the Estate for 30 years. He was fined £850.

The RSPB claimed this was one of many cases but a spokesman for the Scottish Gamekeepers Association had said the case was not typical of the profession.

 

 

gamekeeper not guilty of poisoning on Clova Estate, Aberdeenshire

At Aberdeen Sheriff Court in 2007, a 34 year old gamekeeper of Lumsden, Huntley, was accused of killing a peregrine at Clova Estate, Huntley, Aberdeenshire in October/November 2006. He was also accused of having a bottle of poison at his home address and at Tomatin Estate (Invernesshire), and further accused of having an illegal pesticide (Carbofuran) in his possession at his home address and elsewhere.

After long court delays, in early 2009 he was found not guilty of a charge under Section 15(A) of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981.

“Map of Shame” doesn’t say anything new

Map of Shame 2004-2008

In January 2009, the Scottish government released its ‘Map of Shame’ showing confirmed poisoning incidents between 2004-2008. The map, using data from the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency (SASA), was hailed as a “significant step” in the fight against wildlife crime as it showed the scale of raptor persecution.

In reality, the map doesn’t tell us anything new at all. The RSPB has been producing these maps for years; the difference with this one is that for the first time, the Scottish Rural Property & Business Association (SRPBA) which represents landowners, agreed to its contents.

The map locates 88 incidents in which raptors were poisoned over the previous 5 years, including iconic species such as the golden eagle, white-tailed sea eagle, red kite, buzzard, tawny owl and peregrine.

http://news.scotsman.com/birdsofprey/Bird-of-prey-poisoning-map.4864489.jp

What the map fails to tell us is the name of the shooting estates involved. What is the point of providing such a vague map? There is no point, other than to confirm what was already known – raptor persecution incidents are widespread across Scotland. If the SRPBA is as committed to stamping out wildlife crime as it claims it is, why wouldn’t it take every opportunity to name and shame those known to be involved?

It is not just wildlife-interest groups that are asking for the estates to be named. In September 2009, MSP Sarah Boyack (Scottish Labour) called for the government to name and shame the offending estates and said taking steps to reduce the number of incidents of wild raptors being shot and poisoned was a “matter of urgency”. http://news.stv.tv/scotland/121040-msp-name-and-shame-bird-killers/

The government is due to release the official 2009 raptor poisoning figures shortly….

8 shooting estates deserve recognition for their conservation measures

After a quick glance through the pages of this blog, readers may be forgiven for thinking that raptor persecution is rife on every single shooting estate in Scotland. Yes, it’s true that illegal raptor persecution in Scotland is widespread, as our ‘Named Estates’ page will testify; currently 57 shooting estates are named, and more are still to be named. However, as we mentioned on the introduction page, it is unfair to tarnish every estate and gamekeeper as wildlife criminals as some are actively involved in raptor conservation initiatives. For example, a joint initiative between Scottish Natural Heritage, Tayside Raptor Study Group, Tayside police, RSPB and eight shooting estates has been underway in Perthshire for several years. The Operation Countrywatch Partnership launched in 2004 (formerly known as Operation Countrywatch that launched in 2000) and provides a framework for supporting healthy populations of three key species in a 70,000 ha area: golden eagle, hen harrier and peregrine. Currently, eight shooting estates are partners in this innovative scheme and we applaud their contribution: Ardtalnaig Estate Atholl Estate Drummond Estate Fordie Estates Glenbeich Estate Glenturret Estate Invergeldie Estate Remony Estate

2 sea eagles poisoned in ireland

BBC News 21st Feb. 2008 An attempt to reintroduce one of the world’s largest birds of prey into Ireland has suffered a setback.   

Fifteen white-tailed eagles were brought from Norway to the Killarney National Park in Kerry last June.

Two were found dead on Monday. Toxicology tests for poison are being carried out on them. (see footnote)

One bird was found beside a dead sheep, which is also being analysed. The National Parks and Wildlife Service in Kerry is investigating the matter.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7256420.stm

A few days later the two white-tailed sea eagles were confirmed as having been poisoned.

Inquiry after red kite shot

August 2007. One of the 30 red kite chicks sent to Ireland in a project to reintroduce the species there has been found shot dead.

red kite chicks

The kite was among a batch taken from Powys to the mountains of County Wicklow six weeks ago.

Police in Ireland are investigating after it was found with seven shotgun pellets .Tony Cross of the Welsh Kite Trust in Rhayader, who worked on the scheme, said the shooting was a setback but did not “invalidate” the plan.

Full story. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/6972121.stm

osprey, golden eagle & buzzards illegally killed in 1993

According to the Hansard Report April 2004 (Hansard is the edited verbatim report of proceedings in UK parliament), the following illegal raptor persecution incidents were recorded in 1993:

Lothian Estate (nr Jedburgh, Scottish Borders) – 1 x osprey shot.

Aberarder Estate (Strathnairn, Inverness-shire) – 1 x golden eagle killed by Carbofuran.

Gledfield Estate (nr Ardgay, Sutherland) – 1 x buzzard killed by Chloralose.

South Balkeith Farm (Tain, Ross-shire) – multiple buzzards killed by Carbofuran.

Glenberg Estate (Speyside) – 1 x buzzard killed by Chloralose.

Ralia Estate (by Newtonmore, Inverness-shire) – 1 x buzzard killed by Chloralose.

Woodall Estate (Airdrie, North Lanarkshire) – 1 x buzzard killed by Chloralose.

Carruth Estate (Strathclyde) – 1 x buzzard killed by Chloralose.

Farleyer Estate (Aberfeldy, Perthshire) – 1 x buzzard killed by Carbofuran.

Loansfold & Blindswell Farms (Perthshire) – 1 x buzzard killed by Chloralose.

This report was published in the days when the government publicised the names of the Estates where illegal raptor persecution incidents had been recorded. Shame they don’t do that anymore – you have to wonder why? The Hansard report documenting these and other persecution incidents, can be read here: http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1994/apr/28/bird-killing

sea eagle shot on lough neagh

Oct 2009. A white-tailed sea eagle which was found dead in Lough Neagh, County Antrim, is suspected to have been shot.

The bird, a protected species, was released into Killarney National Park in Co Kerry as part of a reintroduction programme which began two years ago.

Dr Allan Mee, who is in charge of the project, said there were two pellet holes in the animal’s transmitter.

The transmitter was retrieved from the eagle by two canoeists, who were in the Lady’s Bay area, on 17 October.

Dr Marc Ruddock of the NIRSG, who coordinated searches for the bird, said: “The resources, time and enthusiasm that go into the re-introduction program is phenomenal, the loss of even one of the white-tailed eagles is devastating.”

Full story. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8368178.stm

hen harrier & buzzards illegally killed in 1992

According to the Hansard Report April 2004 (Hansard is the edited verbatim report of proceedings in UK parliament), the following illegal raptor persecution incidents were recorded in 1992:

Dalswinton Estate (Dumfries, Dumfriesshire) – 1 x buzzard killed by Chloralose.

Invercauld Estate (nr Braemar, Aberdeenshire) – 1 x buzzard killed by Chloralose.

Dochfour Estate (Inverness-shire) – 1 x buzzard killed by Chloralose.

Cawdor Estate (Nairn, Inverness-shire) – 1 x buzzard killed by Strychnine.

Balival Estate (nr Kingussie, Inverness-shire) – 1 x hen harrier killed by Strychnine.

Careston Estate (Brechin, Perthshire) – 1 x buzzard killed by Chloralose.

Over Cardney Estate (Dunkeld, Perthshire) – 1 x buzzard killed by Chloralose.

Glenbeich &Ardveich Farms (Lochearnhead, Perthshire – 1 x buzzard killed by Chloralose.

Straloch Farm (Blairgowrie, Perthshire) – 1 x buzzard killed by Chloralose.

This report was published in the days when the government publicised the names of the Estates where illegal raptor persecution incidents had been recorded. Shame they don’t do that anymore – you have to wonder why? The Hansard report documenting these and other persecution incidents, can be read here: http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1994/apr/28/bird-killing