Ten days ago we blogged about a new parliamentary motion (see here) that had been lodged by MSP James Dornan, concerning the illegal poisoning of golden eagle Fearnan, found dead on an Angus grouse moor in early December.
Yesterday, an amendment to that motion was made by MSP Claire Baker, calling for sufficient police and COPFS resources to address raptor persecution.
She also called for a review of the laws that cover game management to assess whether further measures could be taken against the criminals within the game management industry.
The original motion, along with the amendment, can be viewed here.
Well done, Claire Baker MSP. Hmm, the first step on the road to estate licensing? It’s long overdue.
Talking of long overdue (although technically he has until 31st Jan so it’s not overdue, it just feels like a very long time), has anyone yet had any response from the Environment Minister regarding the illegal poisoning of golden eagle Fearnan? We understand that hundreds of people bombarded his inbox just before Xmas, and indeed over the Xmas break, following the news of Fearnan’s death (see here). We’re looking forward to hearing what he has to say…or more to the point, what he intends to do.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Not heard a thing from the Minister.
Well done Claire Baker. It is so good to see more and more people taking a stand and saying enough is enough regarding the criminals in the countryside. All crimes – but in particular raptor persecution.
15 January 2014
Dear Mr Price
I am writing to acknowledge your recent letter to Paul Wheelhouse regarding the persecution of birds of prey. A reply will be sent to you as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely
Alistair Sellar
Correspondence Unit
Reblogged this on Brittius.com.
Reblogged this on Dead Citizen's Rights Society.
Yes well done Claire Baker, James Dorman & all the MSP’s who signed. Is there an updated list of signee’s, I wonder if mine is amongst them & whether he’s worth voting for again or not!
If you click on the link in the blog it’ll take you directly to this specific parliamentary motion (& its amendment) and you can see exactly who has, and perhaps more importantly, who has not, supported it.
reply emailed to your hotmail account
[Ed: thanks, Mike]
Yes, good on you, Claire. Reckon I will be emailing her soon. An investigation into game shooting is long overdue. I used to shoot, but took a sickener to it (I prefer to observe and photograph now). I do not object to shooting per se, but do object to driven shoots because of the obscene scale of killing and the measures taken by gamekeepers to ensure the availability of large numbers of birds to kill.
What is long overdue is an investigation into the effect of introducing huge numbers of pheasant poults (about 30 – 40 million every year) into the UK countryside every year and the associated killing of wildlife that could prey on these birds (weasels, stoats and the other victims – illegal or otherwise). I do not think this has been examined at all.
Add to that the amount of lead shot fired (is it still lead ?). If it is lead then the pollution from this serious poison really needs to be examined.
Dougie, the release of c40 million non-native Pheasants into our countryside each year is an ecological and environmental catastrophe – you really don’t need an investigation into it! The fact remains that if 40 million non-native birds of any order, family or genus are introduced into the country on an annual basis, it will have a devastating effect on native creatures. It doesn’t matter if that non-native is a swan, a goose, a kestrel or a finch, many native species will be outcompeted for nesting places and for food, alongside the impacts on those native species that are preyed upon. Similarly, problems would ensue if large-scale non-native mammals were to be introduced annually. Then, as you have mentioned, there are the many millions of native creatures that are killed legally and illegally by those charged with “protecting the stock”.
Yes, it’s an annual, ecological disaster that is endorsed by the likes of SNH and English Nature (organisations that are supposed to protect our native wildlife), and supported by national and devolved governments.
A very good comparison of SNH/English Nature and governmental hypocrisy can be had with their recent attitudes to some other non-native species – Grey Squirrel, American Mink, Ruddy Duck, Canada Goose, Signal Crayfish, etc., all of which are present in far fewer numbers than the Pheasant, and arguably have a lesser effect on native species.
Although it is obvious that the release of 40 million non-natives into the countryside each year does have a severe negative impact on a vast range of native species, you also have to question why successive governments, and those organisations responsible for protecting and conserving native wildlife, have ignored this issue for decades.