Regular readers will have been aware of the cross-party parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee’s inquiry into the extent of willdife crime in the UK (see here, here, here and here for previous blog entries on this topic).
Yesterday, the EAC published what can only be described as a damning report. You can read it here, and the supplementary written evidence here. Apparently, DEFRA will be responding to the report in December.
Much has been written about these findings so rather than repeat what has already been printed we thought it might be useful to provide all the links in one place so you can read it for yourselves.
BBC News article here
RSPB press release here
The Guardian article here
The Independent article here
Mark Avery’s blog here
We’ve looked for press releases from the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, Moorland Association, Countryside Alliance and BASC (all of whom gave evidence to this inquiry) but so far we haven’t found anything.
Raptor Persecution UK 
How can we have any faith in this government to protect wildlife when the person responible for wildlife crime, Richard Benyon, owns a pheasant shoot in Berkshire and a grouse moor in Scotland. If it wasn’t so serious it would be laughable.