In December 2019, a total of 23 buzzards were reported to have been illegally poisoned with the banned pesticide Carbofuran in a single incident in Co. Cork, Ireland.
This news wasn’t made public until May 2020 when the Irish Raptor Study Group partnered with Birdwatch Ireland to issue a joint statement criticising the lack of enforcement measures to deal with the continued illegal persecution of birds of prey (see here).
This shocking mass poisoning crime prompted calls in the Irish parliament for an investigation (see here) and calls for the establishment of a special police unit to focus on tackling wildlife crime (here).
Later in the year a local animal welfare charity ‘The Amica Projects’ put up a reward of 5,000 Euros for information about who was responsible for poisoning the buzzards and it placed a full page advert in the Southern Star newspaper appealing for whistle blowers to get in touch (see here).
Now six months on, an article by journalist Kieran O’Mahony published in the Southern Star yesterday says that The Amica Projects has now confirmed it has paid the 5K Euros reward for a tip-off that it had received.
From the article:
“We are delighted to report that a number of people came forward with information about this and actually some other cases too,’ said a spokesperson.
Some of these reports were highly specific and highly credible and we’ve passed the most useful and relevant to the gardaí [the police] and to the National Parks and Wildlife Service, who are responsible for prosecutions of this type“.
According to The Amica Projects – which was founded in 2019 and addresses animal welfare problems in Ireland – both entities shared the view that the information was credible and actionable.
“This was a senseless attack on the buzzards, which are fully protected in Ireland under the EU Birds Directive, and under the National Wildlife Act of 1976. What’s more, the poison carbofuran has been banned in Ireland for over a decade and even the possession of the poison is an offence.”
The charity also said that it is entirely prepared to repeat the reward initiative should the need arise.
“This should serve as notice to bird-poisoners that they are being observed, and that most of the general public finds their actions abhorrent. No poisoner is safe and the penalties are significant“.
ENDS
Raptor Persecution UK 
Great initiative and result. Hats off!
Good news. It would be good to hear that the police have secured a conviction for the killing and the possession of poison
Very good news.
I like the idea of a bounty being available as a reward for information leading to the conviction of low – lifes.
Singing like birds ………. how appropriate.
Well done..now, it would be nice to get some information, no matter how late, on the mass killing of the red kites on the Black Isle??..we should never forget such crimes.
Indeed, it is almost 7 years since that atrocity. Really hard to swallow that it was not possible to nail someone for such an enormous poisoning.
I’m delighted to hear that someone will pay for there crimes, could we ourselves have a donation fund to support the same practice.
Sometime ago I was told by a very high up sga employee that the Black Isle kites were killed by contaminated meat from the abattoir at grantown on spey, I personally think he was telling me rubbish just to shut me up , does anyone have any thoughts on this.
Idn
The Black Isle kites were killed after consuming poisonous baits (Carbofuran). Nobody was ever charged in this appalling case, despite a huge reward being made available for information leading to a prosecution (almost £30K if I recall correctly).
Has anyone actually been prosecuted and convicted?
Whilst information has been provided about these atrocious crimes.
As crimes against birds of prey in the UK have so clearly highlighted, it is one thing to identify a suspect, but much harder to actually gather sufficient evidence for the matter to proceed to court and secure a conviction.
Lets hope there are further reports in the future to confirm someone has been convicted and suitably punished in the Irish courts.