They’ve started already. Landowner and game-shooting representatives are responding to yesterday’s publication of the RSPB’s 2010 persecution report. We’ll add to this page throughout the day as the predictable denials and counter claims emerge…
Here is the reported response from Douglas McAdam, chief executive of Scottish Land and Estates (formerly known as SRPBA), which represents about 2,500 landowners in Scotland:
“Landowners are working hard in partnership with police and other organisations to help eradicate this. This requires a sustained approach over time and there is evidence these joint efforts are beginning to pay off. There has been a significant decrease in illegal poisoning incidents in the first half of this year at a time when some species are increasing rapidly and now number tens of thousands, the highest overall for nearly a hundred years. It is regrettable that RSPB, who are part of that collaborative effort, continue to point fingers at a time when real progress is being made. Many more birds were killed accidentally by agricultural rodenticides than by deliberate poisoning“. (See BBC News for quote here).
Some readers might get a sense of deja vu when reading that. If the words sound vaguely familiar its because you’ve heard them before, almost verbatim, last month from Luke Borwick, Chairman of Scottish Land and Estates, who was responding to the SASA 2010 poisoning report:
“Landowners are working hard in partnership with police and other organisations to help eradicate poisoning. This requires a sustained approach over time and there is evidence these joint efforts are beginning to pay off. Early indications for the first half of 2011 show there has been a significant decrease in illegal poisoning incidents at a time when some species are increasing rapidly and now number tens of thousands, the highest overall for nearly a hundred years. This decrease is welcome, reflects serious partnership working in this area and needs to be sustained“. (See quote on Scottish Government website here, and this is what we had to say about his quote here).
Come on Scottish Land and Estates – less of the soundbites and a bit more spontaneous sincerity wouldn’t go amiss.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Same old, same old…until they admit theyve got a problem they will never fix it….30 years ago I was asking this same question…”are they [SLF/SRBPA] just incredibly naive, or incredibly cynical?….”
Years of hard work at attempted reasoning/liaison by everyone from RSPB to [belatedly] the Police and Government has hardly made a dent in persecution.
Real unbiassed targetted enforcement is the answer…appeasement doesnt work with people who dont agree with the law of the land.
The trouble is average Joe public doesn’t realise that for each discovered crime there are likely to be very many more undiscovered dead birds or poison baits.
I would of thought given the increased pressure from all around, these people would stop trying to pull the wool over everyone eyes, besides the fact that it’s very clear to all and sundry that in some areas at least persecution is rife, you would think that they must realise in the long run the outcome of this type of persistant flouting of the laws “should” be dealt with by a ban on the activities that cause the conflict.
Or are they really beyond recompense?
More tired, worn out rhetoric from the shooting estate, (I nearly said “sporting estate”) landowners who like the leapards are unable, or is that more likely, unwilling to change their spots. Xxx xxxx xxxx xxx xx xxxxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxx x xxxxxxx xxx. [Edited]
nirofo.
Here we go again, what have I said wrong this time, I think sometimes your censoring of the post is way to strong, you need to read what was said in the context it was written, there’s no way what I said was libellous. Please feel free to email me with your reason, or will this be censored also ???
nirofo.
Nirofo – our editing policy has been explained before. I’m not going to repeat it all over again. Sorry that you think the policy is too strong but that’s just how it has to be if we want this site to remain up. We won’t risk it being closed down just so that you can get in another insult.
Your last comment was edited because it served no other purpose than to offend.
Dave, you speak of unbiased enforcement, it’s a shame that you weren’t of this opinion when you were more actively involved in police investigations, your name has been mentioned several times regarding [THE REST OF THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN EDITED. If you are going to infer such an allegation you need to provide documentary evidence to support it before we’ll publish it here].
At least Dave Dick has the “balls” to use his own name in this blog. Not like some “Grouse Man.”
Unfortunately I do not have documentary evidence to support what I said in my previous comment but perhaps we could call it a probable/possible case, the RSPB seem to get away with using those words when they have no evidence but still wish to blame the nearest gamekeeper, also Stewart do you have any documentary evidence to prove that I am not using my real name, I think not.
Grouse Man…I have no intention of entering some personal slanging match – suffice it to say I have many many examples of “lack of will” amongst certain police officers and Forces when it comes to fast effective enforcement…indeed many examples have been given by others on this blog…as Im sure you are aware.That lack of will was strangely absent when faced with no estate or shooting industry based wildlife criminals – such as egg thieves.
Pity I couldnt see in what context and by whom “my name was mentioned”…but really…I got so used to criminals claiming “foul” when they got caught [as they did to some fine police officers…I am most certainly not tarring them all with the same brush] that it doesnt affect me in the slightest. It certainly will not stop me occasionally [I do have a life] from trying to help raptors through getting the truth aired here.
So, instead of pointless personal attacks – what answers do you have?
Just to put into context some of Douglas Mc Adams response, As other organisations will obviously use the same rhetoric in the oncoming weeks
“ some species are increasing rapidly and now number tens of thousands, the highest overall for nearly a hundred years.”
only four species of Raptor number in the tens of thousands, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk Buzzard and Tawny Owl, Only the Buzzard in these species have increased in numbers in recent times which has corresponded with a significant rise in rabbit numbers, the other three species have declined in recent years.
“It is regrettable that RSPB, who are part of that collaborative effort, continue to point fingers at a time when real progress is being made”
Yearly figures over the last 10 years and documented fail to confirm this
“Many more birds were killed accidentally by agricultural rodenticides than by deliberate poisoning“.
That’s right, point the finger at someone else Douglas,
“Landowners are working hard in partnership with police and other organisations to help eradicate this. This requires a sustained approach over time and there is evidence these joint efforts are beginning to pay off.
To anyone standing outside the game shooting industry and even to a growing number inside the shooting fraternity this isn’t the case, there is more than a small minority not taking a blind bit of notice. Its time for the people at the top to stop burying their heads in the sand and dismissing this. do something productive for once, face the facts and act on them