Here is a letter that was published in today’s edition of The Scotsman:
“I recently had another holiday in Scotland – my third visit this year – principally to do bird and wildlife watching.
Like many others I have always wanted to go bird watching in Malta and Cyprus, but have boycotted these islands on principal because of their hunting and persecution of birds.
On each visit to Scotland I learn of more illegal poisoning and persecution of raptors – including a major tourist attraction, the iconic golden eagle.
I am beginning to think that my patronage of your tourist industry is somewhat hypocritical in view of my stance on the European countries I mentioned.
It appears that wildlife crime detection is grossly underfunded and that penalties are woefully inadequate.
What good is a fine of a few thousand pounds to a gamekeeper whose multi-millionaire lord and master will pay the fine anyway?
I think a universal boycott by wildlide enthusiasts would be damaging to the economies of Scotland, and I implore the Scottish Government to make a concerted effort to stamp out these crimes.”
P. Bateson, Halifax.
The Scotsman letter here
Raptor Persecution UK 
Having had some involvement with the Malta situation, I can tell you that the local conservationists are totally against any boycott by tourists – they see that as counterproductive for two reasons – damaging the local economy would hurt their own real and potential supporters and…the more people who see the reality of what is happening the more pressure can be applied to the criminals.
I agree with them…and I would caution against it here even more…many of the incidents mentioned on this blog were discovered by tourists enjoying the scottish countryside – until they found the poisoned eagle/buzzard/harrier/peregrine bait that is! We need more eyes in the countryside…and we need a healthy tourist economy [particularly in the wildlife section] to negate the deadening effect of grouse, pheasant and red-legged partridge moncultures.
Those people who are living outside the relatively small shooting industry in the countryside- farming/accomodation/wildlife tourism and just the simple support services for villages and farms need to feel confident in standing up to the bullies and criminals in their midst – they wont do that if there is no income from tourism, they would link any decline to conservation.
I agree on that. Boycott = self inflicted injury.
More value in being able to demonstrate how many people are attracted to visit here because of wildlife and raptors in particular.
I totally agree with Dave Dick regarding a boycott by Scotland’s visiting birders…in fact , think about it, the more eyes on the ground the better and we can all do our bit and contribute towards stopping this persecution of wildlife by simply being there and reporting the facts as you find it. There’s great places to explore far removed from pheasant shoots and full of interesting wildlife, just get off the beaten track and keep your eyes open for the unexpected…do us all a favour please…
Bill Jackson, Argyll
May I also add a sincere thought or two in general…
All these gun happy keepers who are destroying Scottish wildlife on a daily basis should all be sent (as part of their education of life in the real world) and of course, this should Include yourself Alex to simply help to drag yourself and your pre-historic association into the 21 century…wake up its the 99% of bad keepers and hangers on that gets the 1% a bad name.
Try six months in Iraq where other folk, quite as gun happy as yourselves will keep you entertained on a daily basis…one snag of course is these moving targets, unlike wildlife will readily shoot back and just maybe learn you all the importance of life itself…Any takers??? Can’t see that lot falling for heard a of Carbofuran laced camels for lunch…can you?
Life’s a bitch. Get real, the whole country knows who is killing wildlife but why…its your heritage and your children’s and grand children to follow, they will not thank you I am sure, except those of course that are at this very minute being groomed into the ways of todays “guardian’s of the countryside”…don’t let your father fool you, he’s only after the tips and the bragging rights in the pub …but these guys/guns on shoots don’t give a stuff about Scotland’s wildlife, its just a jolly to them and being able to shoot as many hand reared pheasants as they are allowed to at a price is all that matters, more bragging rights.
Sad lot but not as sad as the lot we are stuck with for the rest of year killing everything else for the hell of it…those days are over in 2011 and sooner the better an estate in your part of the country really gets done by a realistic judgement in law that deals with it an applies the law as it should be. Along with the estate owner going to jail of course, that’s the new rules for 2011 onwards. Pigs might fly…even better than the pheasants.
Looking forward to that day, but will we live long enough….10 killos of Carbofuran gets you a fine of £3,300 with dead birds poisoned all over the place and no action taken?…what’s dead wildlife worth these days to up very market estate, not a lot…just wait till its a village population waking up in hospital. All so easy, if this well experienced keeper did not know how to dispose of the Carbofuran as he said, ( twice as we now know)…maybe just dump it into the nearest burn and wait till it hits the water supply is the answer???
Ok it gets me mad, but think of how many folk are involved in the birding industry, not to mention the animal enthusiasts throughout the country, millions and millions…how many keepers, hundreds…so with badgers eliminated, pine martins and wild cats from most areas of Scotland under threat…Millions of wildlife folk should really let this lot know what you are all thinking and demanding….these estates are soaking up public money annually in environmental grants, thousands and thousands with the same folk turning a very well funded blind eye to it all…may I suggest you write to the people who have your best interests at heart, Your vote anyway….this guy is just one of them up here in Scotland but let him know how you feel…He’s the Minister for the Environment and | am sure he will be interested to hear from you.
MinisterforEnvironment@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
or there’s always the main man himself the First Minister Alex Salmond…why not, he’s out to make a change for the better and surely this must include your wildlife …FirstMinister@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Thanks for your time and concern for Scotland’s Wildlife…do something about it now, its never too late. Good \News in the press would make a welcome change. There’s more than Sea Eagles on Mull around here…Bill Jackson, Argyll
A letter of response to P. Bateson’s letter was published in today’s Scotsman. The letter’s author, Hector MacLean of Kirriemuir, Angus, suggests that persecution is ‘not rampant’. A quick search of google will tell you that a Hector MacLean of Kirriemuir, Angus is involved with the hospitality/tourism trade; an industry that could be badly damaged if the true extent of persecution was exposed.
Here’s the link to his letter, and some interesting comments below it:
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/letters/Letter-Wildlife-truths.6782548.jp
Having worked in Malta recently I can tell you that it is the Maltese Government that is stopping a wildlife tourism industry being made mainly because they do not want to loose the vote of the hunters. In Britain the power of the land owners influences the governments. As the gun men who shoot on these moors do not care for wildlife a license for shooting should only be obtained if the estate can show that all wildlife is cared for not just a few game birds.