The RSPB has put up a £1,000 reward for information leading to a conviction after a marsh harrier was found poisoned on Goxhill marshes in Humberside. Their reward money is probably quite safe, as the harrier was found poisoned on 27th May 2012!
It’s worth noticing again that it’s the RSPB putting out the news of this latest poisoning incident, and not the police, and yet again it’s many months (almost five) too late. Isn’t it strange that we have to rely upon a charity to inform us about these crimes. Where are the police and where is the sense of urgency??
Full details of this poisoning can be read here
Raptor Persecution UK 
FOR INFO FROM TODAYS INDEPENDANT
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/fury-at-minister-richard-benyons-astounding-refusal-to-ban-deadly-bird-poison-8215803.html
The RSPB seems to offer money rewards some months after the event whether police are involved or not. The reward of £1000 over the Golden Eagle ‘trapped’ in Angus and ‘released’ in Deeside was actually being added to by individual donations yet these donations are to be funnelled into other RSPB needs if the reward is unclaimed. Mmmm………I may be totally misguided, and no doubt will be corrected, but it makes sense to offer small rewards to profit.
There has never been a satisfactory explanation as to why delay in reporting is an almost constant occurrence in these offences. I don’t accept the reason being that it is because multi-agencies are involved. It does not have to be like this. No investigation into suspected poisoning has to take a long time. There is a lack of will in these matters.
From the press link:-
“Tony Bird, Lead Wildlife Adviser at Natural England said: “All birds of prey are fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
“Offences carry a maximum fine of £5,000 and/or a term of six months imprisonment.”
I am not criticising Tony Bird here, as such, but that quote is a worthless party line. Fully protected – clearly they have little protection in reality and the maximum penalties are no better than a work of fiction.
And this from Roy Dennis’s website, suggesting that one of the two Marsh Harriers sat-tagged this year was been illegally killed in Dumfries and Galloway at the start of the month.
http://www.roydennis.org/category/willow/
Might I suggest that what most of us probably suspect already is any data relating to these criminal acts of Raptor persecution is deliberately sat on until the relevance of it has disappeared, therfore making it all but impossible to bring any suspects if there are any to justice in a timely fashion. As Dougie said, there has never been any satisfactory explanation for these long delays in reporting which appear to be the norm in almost all incidents.