The RSPB has today launched its own UK raptor persecution map hub – an interactive, user-friendly system that will allow everyone to examine the full extent of reported raptor persecution crimes throughout the UK.
You can access and explore the map hub here
Read the RSPB blog about this project here
Prior to this map being made available, all we had to work with were the non-interactive maps published annually in the RSPB Birdcrime reports, the annually produced and non-interactive maps produced by PAW Scotland, and in England & Wales, the useless, inaccurate and out of date interactive map launched by DEFRA on behalf of the Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group (RPPDG) last year.
The DEFRA interactive map was heavily criticised on its launch (by us: see here; by the Northern England Raptor Forum: see here; and by the RSPB: see here), not only for being extremely difficult to navigate but also because the data included in that map were heavily disputed. The RPPDG, a sham-partnership including the likes of the Moorland Association, Countryside Alliance and the National Gamekeepers Organisation, went to great lengths to remove as much incident data as possible to make it look like raptor persecution is not as widespread and rampant as it actually is.
By publishing its own UK raptor persecution map hub, the RSPB is able to sidestep all the attempts at obfuscation and denial and provide the public with a much more reliable source of information.
There is still room for improvement with the RSPB’s new map hub, for example by adding ‘probable’ and ‘possible’ raptor crimes to the data set instead of just including ‘confirmed’ incidents as at present, but we’re confident the RSPB will be adding further layers to the map over time.
This is a fantastic new resource and the RSPB is to be commended for making it freely available. As more and more data are added, this map hub will make a significant contribution to helping educate the public and importantly, the politicians, about the widespread and continued illegal persecution of raptors across the UK.
Raptor Persecution UK 
I’ve already had a look. It is brilliant. Looking forward to comparing results for 2017 Scottish raptor persecution reports with the map hub. Will it still be brilliant? I hope so.
This is great – shouldn’t we all now be crowd-funding a legal team to push for the admissibility of video evidence? It’s the only way we’ll catch these bastards at it.
My petition was opened today, to do exactly that. Unfortunately it needs signatures due to the system in place. My tweet from @amilne1945 gives details. I’m not familiar with Twitter. Please locate and retweet if you know how. I’m still trying to understand twitter. I have a website (blog) to publicise linked to my name here.
Great stuff…I’m absolutely lost with twitter etc too..frustrating isn’t it?
Alex, I’ve signed your petition and Retweeted your Twitter post. Good luck with it.
Thanks Shaun. I was able to detect that, after my first foray into how twitter works. You might be the first, but I hope you’re not the last. I’m sure that you won’t be, surely….
I haven’t given up yet, but my petition has been published today at https://bit.ly/2KZxni9 Nice and short It requests longer penalties and a change to the ScotW&CAct1981. My blog in support is at https://bit.ly/2w7I6BH It is a long read. I need signatures. Please sign and RT. @amilne1945
I can’t stand the lack of characters available. So far only 1 signature. I just wish I didn’t have to get signatures.
Nil Desperandum!! The Scottish Govt petitions are usually harder to get signatures for, but they can still be taken seriously. I did one for recycling in schools way back in 2012 and it led to me speaking to a bunch of MSPs about the issue at the parliament – although the petition only got 198 signatures. You’ve got a tremendous case given the number of incidents where ludicrous technicalities have led to clear incidents of law breaking being dismissed, potentially massive public support. You’ve got a long way to go before the 26th of September – there’s a glitch where people can think they’ve signed and they haven’t – it can be misleading you go through the ‘I’m not a robot’ bit and get the big tick, but you still have to click on the wee black box with Sign This underneath it. Just to make you aware of that if you don’t see someone’s name appear who you believe has signed – that could be the problem. I know that you can also collect paper signatures for this and then submit them – Onekind did this with their petition against the mountain hare cull partly because they were a bit pissed off with technical problems re the petition page. Best to check with the petitions team if you want to do that. Very best of luck, cracking petition!
Well done Alex, just signed
Excellent petition. Thanjs
I’ve just signed it Alex…what a brilliant petition!!! The Scottish Government petition system is pretty good all things considered, your background info and points made are superb. Very well done in sticking your neck out like this, does underline the current shambles re video evidence. Bloody good effort!
Absolutely-the law needs to be clarified-of course we should be catching these dreadful criminals in the act-video evidence must be admissible-crowd funding would be an excellent way to raise funds to seek legal expertise and lobby politicians to make it much harder for these despicable and cowardly wildlife criminals to get away with their crimes
A sister hub that matched predicted (non persecuted) raptor populations area by area with what actually lives there would also be very helpful – if persecution is going down where are those increasing raptor populations? How many golden eagles in the southern uplands as against actual populations, how many hen harriers breeding in the Angus Glens, how many should there be? How many goshawk in Argyll and the Central Belt as opposed to the real number? Wouldn’t have to give precise information re locations within areas obviously. I suspect a lot of the estimates for non persecuted raptor populations are under estimates – they’ve found golden eagle accept more woodland cover than previously thought, which would mean persecution is having even more of a suppressing effect than realized. Bloody well done RSPB.
Great resource and should be publicized far and wide. It would be great if for each of the incidents it also highlighted the precise location and name of the estate; discernible shooters would hopefully then start to avoid the bad apples. Maybe not allowed unless there is a conviction – but if the location is available in the public domain then its out there anyway.
Brilliant – worth my membership fee on its own
Excellent facility. Well done RSPB.
A welcome development to counter the lies and spin from the Grouse bothers and fellow travellers
Excellent, wonder if they would consider adding raptors which have gone missing in suspicious circumstances. I realise that this may be difficult to quantify, however this info is often produced on this site and is an important part of the story.
Signed alex here’s hoping you get alot more signatures.