Month: June 2025

New report highlights the ongoing criminal persecution of Hen Harriers on UK driven grouse moors

Press release from the RSPB (26 June 2025):

NUMBER OF HEN HARRIERS KILLED OR MISSING REACHES NEW HIGH

  • Over the past five years, record numbers of Hen Harriers have been killed or have gone missing according to a new report from the RSPB. 
  • Most of these incidents have occurred on or near grouse moors in northern England. 
  • The RSPB is calling on the Westminster Government to introduce licensing of grouse shooting in England as has happened in Scotland to act as a meaningful deterrent to wildlife crime. 

One of the rarest birds in the UK – the Hen Harrier – has seen record numbers being illegally killed or going missing in suspicious circumstances over the past five years. 

An illegally killed Hen Harrier. Photo: Ruth Tingay

A new RSPB report – Hen Harriers in the firing line – shows that the majority of the 102 incidents occurred on or near grouse moors. Hen Harriers breed in the uplands of Britain and this is where they come into conflict with grouse shooting. 

Hen Harriers are a rare, protected species, known for their acrobatic ‘skydancing’ courtship display over the uplands. The Hen Harrier is categorised as a red-listed species in the UK, due to its low breeding population levels, following historic declines as a result of human persecution. 

Despite several conservation initiatives over the past twenty-five years, the Hen Harrier is now the most persecuted bird of prey in the UK for its population size. 

The UK population increased between 2016 and 2023, however, 2023 was the worst recorded year for persecution. Hen Harriers remain far less abundant or widespread than they should be, and the current UK population estimate represents only a quarter of the potential population their ideal habitat can support, and in England it is less, about 10%.  

Despite being legally protected, multiple studies and reports confirm that criminal activity is the main factor limiting the recovery of Hen Harrier in the UK, causing a reduction in nesting success, annual productivity, and survival of breeding birds. Despite decades of persecution no one in England has ever been convicted of an offence. Most of these crimes take place in remote areas where such activity is hard to detect and a criminal burden of proof against the perpetrators near impossible to secure.  

Dr James Robinson the RSPB’s director of operations said “The last five years have seen a record number of illegally killed or disappearing Hen Harriers with 102 suspected or confirmed incidents, the majority happening on or close to grouse moors. This species will not recover until the criminal activity stops, and for this to happen we need regulation of the grouse shooting industry, specifically, the introduction of a licencing system for shoots in England, so estates proven by the Police and Natural England to be linked to raptor persecution would simply lose their licence to operate.” 

Another recent study which investigated the illegal killing of Hen Harriers in association with gamebird management showed that the survival rates of Hen Harriers in the UK are “unusually low” with birds surviving for an average of just 121 days after leaving the nest, and persecution accounting for 27-41% of deaths of Hen Harriers aged under one year and 75% of deaths in birds aged between one and two years. It also highlighted a strong overlap between Hen Harrier mortality and the extent of grouse moors. 

This new report contains the details of Hen Harriers being shot, their chicks being stamped on and one bird having its head pulled off whilst still alive. This alongside 112 satellite-tagged birds disappearing on or near grouse moors between 2010 and 2024 has led the RSPB to yet again call on the government to regulate the industry and licence grouse moors, as is now law in Scotland. 

The Wildlife Management and Muirburn Act, passed in March 2024, means all grouse shoots in Scotland require a licence to operate, and this licence could be revoked if evidence suggests a crime has been committed. Licensing is based on evidence to a civil burden of proof, meaning that it is easier to take action when persecution has taken place. This progressive legislation will help ensure legal and sustainable management across a significant area of upland Scotland and introduces a much-needed deterrent for those who kill birds of prey for economic reasons. But England now lags behind.

This report comes ahead of a parliamentary debate at Westminster Hall on Monday 30 June on the future of Grouse Shooting, triggered by petition launched by the campaign group Wild Justice. Over 100,000 people signed their petition calling for a ban on driven grouse shooting, as they, like the RSPB, want to see an end to the illegal killing of birds of prey and other harmful practices associated with the grouse shooting industry. Action on this issue by Government in England is long overdue, and we will be expecting to hear how the Government intends to end the killing, before it is too late for England’s Hen Harriers.   

ENDS 

The RSPB’s new report can be downloaded here:

Hen Harriers in the Firing Line_RSPB Report_June2025Download

The RSPB is to be congratulated for putting this report together. A lot of the information contained within it is already well-known, but this report brings it all together in one place. What is new is the hotspot mapping of satellite-tagged Hen Harriers (both RSPB-tagged birds and Natural England tagged birds), and although the detail is coarse, the overall distribution pattern is clear, showing the main hotspots in areas where the land is intensively managed for driven grouse shooting.

The timing of this publication is also very helpful, given the forthcoming Westminster debate on Wild Justice’s latest petition calling for a ban on driven grouse shooting, which takes place next Monday (30 June 2025).

It’s clear from both the press release and the report that the RSPB prefers a licensing approach to regulate driven grouse shooting, rather than a ban. There will be many who disagree with that stance, me included, although I wouldn’t object if Labour committed to bringing in a licensing scheme because it’s better than doing nothing at all and will take us one step closer to getting a ban when the licensing scheme inevitably fails. But now is not the time to argue about that.

The bigger picture here is that the Labour government, and MPs from other parties, have an opportunity to put on record what they think about the scale of the criminal raptor persecution that continues on many driven grouse moors.

The ongoing illegal persecution of raptors is the most difficult of all the issues associated with driven grouse shooting for the shooting industry to defend. It’s a crime, it’s abhorrent, the public hates it, and the evidence showing the extent of it just keeps piling up.

The shooting industry has no defence for it so instead it has resorted to a long-running campaign of smearing those of us who have brought the persecution issue to the public’s attention, in a desperate attempt to discredit our reputations and integrity.

In the run up to this latest Westminster debate, several shooting organisations have tried to play down the significance of another debate on this issue and have argued that this latest debate is pointless and that MPs have more important things to be discussing and there’s ‘no threat here to grouse shooting’. It’s telling though, the amount of pro-grouse shooting propaganda those same organisations have been frenziedly pumping out in recent weeks – it reveals that they are indeed concerned that the public spotlight will once again be on their criminal and environmentally damaging activities.

It’s also been revealing to watch the different organisations contradictorily falling over themselves in a bid to impress their members, by each claiming to be ‘leading the charge/fight’ against us pesky campaigners. For example, on 29 May 2025 the Countryside Alliance ran this headline: ‘Countryside Alliance leads charge against Westminster anti grouse shooting debate‘ and on 10 June 2025 a BASC headline read: ‘BASC leads the fight for driven grouse shooting ahead of debate‘. This level of posturing is a bit of a giveaway as to their level of concern.

This latest report on the illegal killing of Hen Harriers on grouse moors deserves widespread exposure in the run up to the debate so I’d encourage you to email a copy to your MP, ahead of Monday’s debate, and let them know that this issue matters to you and should be of deep concern to them.

I’m not expecting an immediate change of policy to result from Monday’s debate – that would be naive. And I’m fully expecting the usual sneering and snorting from certain members, especially those with a vested interest in maintaining driven grouse shooting, although a lot of those who behaved so appallingly at the first debate nine years ago will no longer be there.

But what I am interested in is listening to those MPs who can demonstrate any modicum of environmental awareness, ecological understanding and intolerance of wildlife crime. It’ll be those MPs, hopefully from across all parties, who we’ll want to work with in the future because we have no intention of dropping our campaign, no matter which party is in Government in the coming years.

Police launch investigation after Red Kite killed in poisoning hotspot

Press release from Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), 25 June 2025:

INVESTIGATION AFTER TESTING CONFIRMS RED KITE POISONED

Police have commenced an investigation after tests confirmed that a red kite which was found dead near Loughbrickland [County Down] had been fatally poisoned.

Testing determined that the legally protected bird of prey bird, which was discovered on land in the Tullymore Road area at the end of December, had died by what’s believed to have been targeted poisoning using the rodenticide Chloralose and the insecticide Bendiocarb.

Red Kite photo by Dr Marc Ruddock of the NI Raptor Study Group

Superintendent Johnston McDowell, the Police Service lead for Wildlife Crime and Animal Welfare, said: “Red kites, along with all birds of prey, are protected in Northern Ireland under the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985, as amended by the Wildlife and Natural Environment (NI) Act 2011. 

“These birds were reintroduced to Northern Ireland in 2008 after being extinct here for centuries, and tragically this is not the first time we have had reports of this nature in this same area. Two ravens were also recently found dead having been poisoned using similar chemicals [Ed: see here], and it saddens me that these incredible birds are being intentionally killed.

“Anyone who finds a dead bird of prey such as a red kite which they suspect to have been poisoned, shot or illegally trapped, or anyone with information about the illegal trade in these birds, should contact police and report their concerns. The poisons used in these most recent incidents are deadly not only to birds and wildlife, but also to humans and as such anyone who comes across the body of any of these birds shouldn’t touch them, but alert the authorities instead.

“PSNI along with Northern Ireland Environment Agency conducted a number of enquiries along with a site visit, and utilised the technical and advisory support of the UK’s National Wildlife Crime Unit throughout the time since the discovery of the Red Kite.  

“The Police Service also works closely with our colleagues in the Health and Safety Executive and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to identify poisons being used and where a crime is found to have been committed, we will take steps to identify and prosecute offenders. Those found guilty of persecution of protected birds of prey can face a custodial sentence and/or fines of up to £5,000 per offence.”

The Health and Safety Executive NI, one of the enforcing authorities responsible for Biocidal Product Regulations in Northern Ireland, said: “HSENI, who is one of the enforcing authorities responsible for Biocidal Product Regulations in Northern Ireland said: “Where duty-holders are found to have incorrectly used or have misused biocidal products or continue to use or store biocidal products that have been withdrawn from the market, HSENI will take appropriate enforcement action to achieve compliance. This highlights the importance of responsible use of all chemicals including biocidal products.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs said: “The intentional poisoning wildlife and birds is abhorrent. Supplying, storing (being in possession of) or using a Plant Protection Product (PPP), that has been banned, is an offence. It is also an offence to use an authorised PPP in contravention of the conditions and the specific restrictions established by the authorisation and specified on the product label. If convicted of committing an offence, fines will incur.”

Superintendent McDowell added: “Our Operation Raptor – Peregrine Watch, is an initiative between the PAW Bird of Prey Sub Group and our Air Support Unit, working alongside local police officers, which uses drones to monitor and protect the nesting sites of birds of prey, and is a direct result of birds being targeted, just like in this case, with very serious and dangerous substances in a number of areas across Northern Ireland.

“Along with our partners we will continue to investigate wildlife crime and seek to prevent further instances, whilst bringing offenders to justice.”

Please report wildlife crime by calling 101. A report can also be made online via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or you can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/. 
​
If you have any information on this particular incident please quote incident number 419 24/12/24.

ENDS

Earlier this month representatives from the NI Raptor Study Group, Ulster Wildlife and the RSPB handed in a 50,000-signature petition to Environment Minister Andrew Muir, calling for a ban on the possession of dangerous, raptor-killing poisons (here).

It’s not yet clear what the Minister intends to do, if anything.

If you’re a NI resident and you’re reading this, please consider contacting your local politician and ask them to raise the issue at Stormont – all the Minister has to do is write a list of proscribed poisons and get it added to section 15B of the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. It really should be very simple.

The most recent summary report of raptor persecution in Northern Ireland (2021-2022, published last year by the NI Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime), shows that illegal poisoning is the most commonly used method of persecution in the country. The report can be read/downloaded here:

PAW NI Raptor Persecution Report 2021_2022Download

Scottish Government & NatureScot delays start date for new muirburn licence

In March 2024, the Scottish Parliament voted for the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill, which introduced, amongst other things, a requirement for all muirburn to be licensed (see here).

The Bill was enacted in May 2024 and became the Wildlife Management & Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 and since then we’ve seen the introduction of a grouse moor licensing scheme (although this still remains contentious as the licence has been significantly weakened after lobbying by the grouse shooting industry – an update on that is coming shortly) and the banning of the use of snares.

The introduction of the muirburn licence, also contentious because many conservationists didn’t believe it went far enough (e.g. see here), was due to be in place for the start of the 2025/26 muirburn season on 15 September 2025, some 18 months after the Scottish Parliament voted in favour of it.

Deliberately setting fire to vegetation on peatland carbon stores, to facilitate an artificially high number of Red Grouse for shooting, is both obscene and absurd. Photo by Ruth Tingay

NatureScot has held a series of stakeholder meetings over a period of several months to discuss the requirements of the new muirburn licence, including a revised Muirburn Code (justifiably criticised by Nick Kempe, the author of the Parkswatchscotland blog – e.g. see here, here and here) and NatureScot also ran a consultation on the new draft Muirburn Code (the consultation closed on 5 May 2025). NatureScot is currently reviewing the responses to that consultation. Here is a copy of the consultation document detailing the draft new Muirburn Code for those interested:

Consultation draft – guidance – muirburn code _ NatureScotDownload

NatureScot has also produced an interactive map to help identify areas of what has been described in the Act as ‘peatland’ (areas of +40cm peat depth), ‘non-peatland’ and ‘uncertain peatland’ (areas that contain peat but the depth is currently unknown). Those who want to carry out muirburn will need to know the depth of the peat in the areas they wish to burn because licences will only be issued for certain purposes, depending on peat depth:

All the preparations seemed on track for the introduction of the licence before 15 September 2025 but then last week, the Scottish Government and NatureScot caved in to intensive political lobbying by the grouse shooting industry and agreed to delay the start of muirburn licensing until 1 January 2026.

The grouse shooting industry had argued that it wasn’t practical or fair to introduce the licence by 15 September because, according to BASC:

‘Proceeding with muirburn licensing in its current form would have risked confusion, undermined public trust and jeopardised effective upland management‘,

and

‘Introducing a licensing system without clear guidance, stakeholder consensus or adequate preparation would have been deeply irresponsible‘.

This wasn’t just the view of BASC – other lobbyists included the usual suspects such as Scottish Land & Estates, NFU Scotland and the Scottish Gamekeepers Association.

Had the new licence conditions been foisted on these groups with genuinely short notice I might have had some sympathy with their arguments, but given that the Act has already been on the statute books for 13 months, with another three months to go before the intended start date of the muirburn licence, I’d argue that they’ve had more than adequate time to prepare.

I can’t help but compare NatureScot’s decision to delay implementation with its recent decision to impose a new licence condition on raptor fieldworkers monitoring Schedule 1 raptors (whereby licence holders are now required to provide advanced notification to land owners of Schedule 1 monitoring visits). NatureScot imposed this new licence condition without providing adequate preparation time, without providing clear guidance, and without stakeholder consensus.

The Scottish Raptor Study Group made an entirely reasonable case to delay implementation until the 2026 monitoring season to allow its volunteer fieldworkers time to prepare but NatureScot outright refused to do this, and as far as I’m aware, didn’t provide a cogent rationale for its pig-headedness. Senior officials simply kept repeating the mantra that NatureScot had the power to impose whatever licence conditions it liked, without prior consultation.

I haven’t written about that fiasco in detail yet, for a number of reasons, but I’ll get to it soon. There’s a little bit about it here, and it sits within a wider and growing dissatisfaction amongst conservationists towards the decision-making processes in NatureScot’s wildlife management department. Its decision to delay the introduction of muirburn licensing at the behest of the grouse shooting lobby will only add fuel to the fire (pun intended).

I’m not sure whether the delay in implementing the licence will mean that muirburning can still begin on 15 September (the new opening date of the muirburn season according to the Act) or whether the old start date of 1 October will still apply given that licences will not be in place.

Either way, from 15 Sept or 1 Oct 2025, up until 31 December 2025, I’m certain we can expect to see extensive and intensive fires across Scotland’s grouse moors as gamekeepers take full advantage of the opportunity to burn on large areas of deep peat before the restrictions come in on 1 January 2026.

UPDATE 8 July 2025: Intensive grouse moor management ahead of muirburn licensing in Scotland (here)

UPDATE 9 October 2025: Scottish Government delays start of muirburn licences (for second time) after aggressive lobbying by grouse shooting industry (here)

UPDATE 30 October 2025: Scottish Govt fiddles while grouse moors burn (here)

Natural England still refusing to release social science report on Hen Harrier brood meddling

Earlier this month I blogged about an EIR request I’d submitted to Natural England in April, asking for a copy of the second social science report that NE had commissioned as part of its review of the 7-year Hen Harrier brood meddling trial (see here).

It took Natural England 20 working days to respond and tell me that an extension of another 20 working days was required, “because of the complexity/voluminous nature of the request“.

That was complete nonsense, of course. It was a simple, straightforward request asking for a copy of a report that had been written a year ago and had already been used by Natural England in its decision to close the brood meddling ‘trial’ (sham), announced in March 2025 (here).

For new blog readers, the hen harrier brood meddling trial was a conservation sham sanctioned by DEFRA as part of its ludicrous ‘Hen Harrier Action Plan‘ and carried out by Natural England between 2018 – 2024, in cahoots with the very industry responsible for the species’ catastrophic decline in England. In general terms, the plan involved the removal of hen harrier chicks from grouse moors, they were reared in captivity, then released back into the uplands just in time for the start of the grouse-shooting season where many were illegally killed. It was plainly bonkers. For more background see here and here.

Hen Harrier photo by Pete Walkden

Natural England has now written again and has refused to release the social science report:

“This report is in final draft stage. Natural England are finalising this report and are progressing with the process of internal review required for publication. We cannot give an exact publication date due to uncertainties inherent in this internal review and publication process. This report is therefore being withheld under Reg 12(4)(d) – course of completion“.

So the excuse given this time is not because my request was ‘complex’ or ‘voluminous’ (because it wasn’t), but because the report is apparently still in draft status.

Even though it was written a year ago and the findings were referred to in Natural England’s March 2025 announcement on the future of hen harrier brood meddling.

Same old lack of transparency from Natural England, then. It’s almost as though there’s something to hide (apart from the corpses of illegally killed Hen Harriers).

‘Reclaim Our Moors’ – local residents in Sheffield & North Derbyshire start campaign for community ownership of ‘trashed’ grouse moors

Around 40 local residents from Sheffield and North Derbyshire have started a campaign to bring local grouse moors in to community ownership.

The group ‘Reclaim Our Moors‘ held its inaugural meeting on 7 June 2025 where campaigners offered the Duke of Rutland £1 to buy Moscar Moor ‘as it is in such a sad and sorry state’.

Photo by Reclaim Our Moors

The group, which includes a number of local councillors, ecologists and campaigner Bob Berzins amongst its membership, was joined by land reform author and campaigner Guy Shrubsole for a visit to nearby Moscar Estate, a grouse moor that Bob wrote about in his guest blog yesterday – here.

The group argues that the grouse moor has been “trashed” by the duke, “who sets it on fire – sending smoke into people’s homes, worsening flood risk downstream and releasing carbon that adds to the climate crisis” and that it has been “scoured of wildlife by gamekeepers who kill anything that could affect gamebird numbers”, according to an article published yesterday by local newspaper The Star (see here).

Photo by Reclaim Our Moors

Moscar Moor isn’t for sale but Reclaim Our Moors is assessing opportunities under the government’s forthcoming ‘Community Right to Buy’ legislation (see here).

The group has already had conversations with the local MP, Olivia Blake, and is taking an interest in the forthcoming Westminster Hall debate on Wild Justice’s 100,000+ signature petition calling for a ban on driven grouse shooting.

I hope Olivia attends the debate and uses the opportunity to highlight the strength of feeling amongst her constituents, to counter the inevitable narrative that pro-grouse shooting MPs will undoubtedly be making about how driven grouse shooting is supposedly welcomed and embraced by local communities.

Much kudos to Reclaim Our Moors, some of whose members have previously been targeted by the grouse shooting industry’s vile astroturfers, Campaign for the Protection of Moorland Communities (C4PMC), which specialises in making personal attacks and smears on anyone who dares to raise questions about the environmental unsustainability and criminality associated with driven grouse moor management. It takes courage to go up against that level of abuse and intimidation and the creation of Reclaim Our Moors is testament to that courage.

Reclaim Our Moors has a website (here) where you can get in touch and in due course find out more about their campaign and how to support it.

More reasons to ban driven grouse shooting – evidence from the Peak District National Park (guest blog by Bob Berzins)

This is a guest blog written by conservation campaigner and author Bob Berzins who has written previously on this blog here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

MPs are scheduled to debate the Wild Justice Ban Driven Grouse Shooting petition on 30th June 2025 in Westminster Hall.

The Government response to the petition states, “… well managed shooting activities…can be beneficial for wildlife and habitat conservation”, and, “The Government supports the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU)  – which helps prevent and detect crimes against wildlife by obtaining and disseminating intelligence and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations.” Further, “All forms of predator management to protect grouse must be undertaken within the law, including compliance with animal welfare legislation.”

Fine words, if only they were true.

This site provides comprehensive and ongoing exposure of blatant and deliberate raptor persecution on many driven grouse moors. So I’ll provide an update and recent examples from the Peak District of some of the other factors which support an urgent need for a ban.

Grouse moors receive a lot of taxpayer money for little return

This link (here) shows a data map for environmental stewardship agreements in England. These areas have not made the transition to the new Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS) but have their existing 10 year agreements extended. The database indicates that Moscar Estate, owned by the Duke of Rutland in the Peak District National Park, has a scheme from 2012 to 2028 with total subsidy payments calculated at over £2.8 million.

Natural England is responsible for administering these stewardship schemes but rarely checks SSSI unit condition. After paying Moscar Estate (so far) over £2 million since 2012, the condition of two of the SSSI units that were last checked by Natural England in 2022, Black Hole Moor (here) and Derwent Moors (here), are both rated as Unfavourable – No Change.

Here is the NE commentary on the site condition assessment for Black Hole Moor:

Here is the NE commentary on the site condition assessment for Derwent Moors:

From these site assessments, it seems clear to me that driven grouse moor management – which prioritises grouse numbers above all else – does not result in good condition of blanket bog, a priority habitat.

A carcass-filled landscape

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) claims that grouse moors are teeming with life. A more accurate description would be: filled with decomposing carcasses.

Canada Geese and assorted dead wildlife photographed on Moscar Estate, spring 2025 (Bob Berzins)

Canada geese can be shot under General Licence GL41 (here) to ‘prevent slips and falls, spread of human disease and issues with birds nesting’. I think it’s obvious to most people that decomposing carcasses just a mile upstream from a Yorkshire Water reservoir are a health hazard but it’s impossible to get the Environment Agency or local authorities to take action on stink pits.  

Charred and barren uplands

Evidence of burning on Midhope Moor, spring 2025. (Bob Berzins)

In October 2023, when nearby grouse moors were being deliberately set alight, Sheffield filled with smoke (here), causing air pollution monitors for particulates to spike well above safe levels for several hours. But burning continues (so there can be more grouse to shoot) and when vegetation is removed from steep slopes in particular, water flows increase making flooding more likely. If new concrete barriers protect Sheffield city centre then Doncaster is flooded downstream.

Pharmaceuticals seep into our water

Typical medicated grit station on a Peak District grouse moor, summer 2025. Over-turned turf on blanket bog (Bob Berzins)

There was no grouse shooting that I’m aware of in the Peak District in 2024, and the response from estates was a very obvious increase in burning, mowing, traps and medicated grit. So more intensive management which has obviously failed before. And oh dear, there doesn’t appear to be any grouse this year either.

The quartz grit in the photo is usually laced with Flubendazole – a worming agent to prevent the strongyle parasite and it’s very obvious how this leeches into the water table. And by the way Yorkshire Water won’t test for this chemical. The only reason Flubendazole is used is to produce more grouse to shoot. [Ed: See here for more detail on the medicated grit scandal – exposed ten years ago and still it continues].

Police, National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and animal welfare

In March 2025, I reported a number of DOC traps (a brand of spring trap) I’d found on another Peak District grouse moor to South Yorkshire Police and I included a request that SYP officers liaise with the National Wildlife Crime Unit (after listening to the NWCU presentation at last autumn’s Northern England Raptor Conference). I was being ‘the eyes and ears’ that NWCU had requested.

I’ve written previously about the inhumaneness of these traps (here) and this photo below shows a Stoat mainly outside the trap with only a small part of the body crushed under the bars – contrary to legal and humane use of these devices.

Trapped Stoat in a DOC trap (Bob Berzins)

Regardless of the trap set-up, Defra informed me that animals were protected from unnecessary suffering because the trap operator has a statutory obligation to remove any animal trapped as a result of a foul strike.

This is a nonsense because there’s no statutory requirement to check these traps and this device, like many others, is in the middle of nowhere miles from any road or track.  

A crucial factor in the humaneness of these traps is compliance with the statutory requirements for the set-up. Relevant here is the maximum permitted diameter of the internal baffle (a structure with an aperture/hole that slows down the animal and directs it into the trap) for a ‘run through’ trap (as shown in the above photo) is 51mm and the bottom of the hole/aperture has to be level with the trap plate (see here, p3).

The trap in the photo above has a 50mm mesh tunnel where wire strands have been cut to enlarge the opening and because of the large piles of moss either side of the trap, the internal baffle is several centimetres above the plate. I would say this trap is unlawful and the trap operator should be prosecuted.

Some estates do manage to set compliant traps such as this one below where a smaller gauge mesh is used for the tunnel with the approach on a flat plank of wood level with the trap:

A lawfully-set DOC trap (Bob Berzins)

The South Yorkshire Police Officer dealing with this case assured me they work closely with the NWCU and also said,

“We have a meeting coming up with all the estate managers and I would like to raise these issues at the meeting.”

I replied asking for notes or minutes of the meeting. It’s well known that police, the Peak District National Park Authority, estate managers and gamekeepers meet annually at Chatsworth – a closed door get together with no minutes or published notes. I understand that other meetings have also taken place between police and the Peak District Moorland Group [Ed: one of a number of regional grouse moor gamekeeper groups established in recent years, established and funded by shadowy figures in the grouse shooting industry, with an objective to promote grouse moor shooting and smear/discredit anybody who dares raise questions about sustainability, ethics and criminality. This particular moorland group has strong links to the dodgy astroturfers, C4PMC (Campaign for Protection of Moorland Communities)].

A further visit I made three months on, in June 2025, showed the estate in question still setting traps that I believe to be set unlawfully. And still no proper reply from the police.

Trap photographed in June 2025 (Bob Berzins)

Perhaps the National Wildlife Crime Unit could offer an opinion here – the incident number is SYP-20250321-1026. Or has this case already been wrapped up in a closed door meeting with a friendly handshake and slap on the back?

The Government response to the Wild Justice petition is disingenuous greenwash. So please write to your MP – the simplest way to stop this nonsense is to ban driven grouse shooting.

UPDATE 19 June 2025: ‘Reclaim Our Moors’ – local residents in Sheffield and North Derbyshire start campaign for community ownership of ‘trashed’ grouse moors (here)

50,000-signature petition calling for ban on possession of poisons, handed into Stormont, Northern Ireland

Press release from Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group (17 June 2025)

50,000-signature petition, calling for a ban on poison possession, handed into Stormont.

Today (17th June), a petition begun by the Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group (NIRSG), calling for the possession of various toxic pesticides to be made illegal, was handed in to officials at Stormont by representatives of the Group, alongside staff from RSPB NI and Ulster Wildlife.

Photo by Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group

The petition, which was instigated in response to the widely condemned poisoning of two young White-tailed Eagles in Glenwherry, Co Antrim, in May 2023, has garnered over 50,000 signatories from Northern Ireland and beyond.

The eagles died after consuming a bait laced with Bendiocarb, a chemical prohibited from outdoor use in Northern Ireland, and were the latest victims in a series of poisoning incidents here that has claimed the lives of over 60 protected birds of prey in recent years.

The two poisoned White-tailed Eagles found dead on a grouse moor in May 2023.
Photo by Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group

NIRSG’s raptor officer, Dr. Eimear Rooney said: “The day we recovered the bodies of those two eagles from the hillside at Glenwherry was one of the most upsetting of my career working with Northern Ireland’s raptors. White-tailed Eagles are only just making a return to our skies after being made extinct on the island of Ireland by past human actions over 100 years ago. But it’s not just eagles that fall victim to the criminals illegally using these poisons – it’s Red Kites, Buzzards and Peregrine Falcons as well as people’s pet cats and dogs.”

Dawn Miskelly, Ulster Wildlife CEO, said “Poisons have devastating impacts on raptor populations. Protecting these birds from poisoning is not just about conserving individual species – it’s about safeguarding and preserving biodiversity for future generations. We urgently call on the Assembly to recognise the significant public concern around this issue and act by resolving to create legislation to make the possession of these toxic pesticides illegal.”

Ian Thomson, RSPB’s Investigations Manager added “Similar legislation in Scotland has led to the successful prosecution of a sizeable number of individuals linked to the illegal poisoning of wildlife. There is no legal reason to hold onto these chemicals, long banned from use, but we repeatedly see Northern Ireland’s birds of prey fall victim to these same substances. Making their possession illegal here will make identifying the perpetrators of these crimes more straightforward, will hopefully create a significant deterrent to the illegal use of poison, and most importantly, will help protect wildlife, domestic pets and people from harm.”

Dr Marc Ruddock, also from NIRSG, continued: “The Wildlife Order already includes legislation banning the possession of pesticides containing a proscribed ingredient, but, in the 14 years since that legislation was passed, lawmakers have never produced the required list of proscribed ingredients. This means that highly toxic poisons such as carbofuran and aldicarb, banned from legal use, are being stored and utilised by those wishing to do harm to our wildlife. It is clear that the intention of the legislature, in passing these laws back in 2011, was for the possession of these awful chemicals to be a crime, but the final step to do so was never completed. It needs to be done, now, with no further delays and recognise the public’s considerable concerns and acts quickly to create a pathway to finally resolve this issue.”

The organisations that attended today at Stormont are all members of the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime and previously met with DAERA officials. They were also able to discuss their concerns with Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir MLA, yesterday.

Dr. Rooney added “Our meeting with the Minster was welcome and constructive, and he acknowledged that the poisoning of our birds of prey is deeply concerning. We are grateful to Minister Muir for meeting us today at Stormont and receiving the petition.”

ENDS

First of all, many thanks to all of you who signed this petition, which reached 50,000 signatures in March this year (see here).

Secondly, well done to the Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group for curating this campaign, supported by the RSPB and Ulster Wildlife. The illegal poisoning of those two White-tailed Eagles, found on Northern Ireland’s only driven grouse moor in May 2023, was both shocking, and yet not shocking. It’s a sad reflection of what we’ve come to expect on many driven grouse moors across the UK.

The groups did well to secure a meeting with Minister Andrew Muir, but it’s surprising to see it described as “constructive”. What does that mean? The Minister was presented with a petition of 50,000 signatures calling for a ban on the possession of these lethal, unlawful chemicals, and he said what, exactly?

‘Oh yeah, thanks, it’s awful isn’t it, let me think about what we can do about it‘?

The remedy is simple, and obvious. Write the list of proscribed poisons and get it added to section 15B of the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985.

It’s not that difficult!

UPDATE 25 June 2025: Police launch investigation after Red Kite killed in poisoning hotspot (here)

UPDATE 6 July 2025: Northern Ireland Minister commits to taking action on illegal poisoning of birds of prey (here)

Wild Justice blog: Ask your MP to attend Westminster Hall debate on banning driven grouse shooting – 30 June 2025, 4.30pm

Blog from Wild Justice:

You will remember that we asked you to sign our most recent petition to ban driven grouse shooting and over 100,000 of you did so – thank you! 

Thanks to your tremendous response, this issue is once again the subject of a parliamentary debate at Westminster Hall on Monday 30 June 2025, starting at 4.30pm. This will be the third time a petition calling for a ban has passed 100,000 signatures (we’re a tenacious bunch!) but it’ll be the first debate under a Labour government and is therefore an opportunity for Labour to show its environmental credentials at a time when public interest and environmental concern is high.

When Labour was in opposition, it indicated that it would consider licensing grouse shooting because it agreed that the continuation of widespread wildlife crime and environmental destruction (such as burning heather in areas of deep peat) associated with driven grouse moor management was unacceptable. However, in its woeful response to our petition at 10,000 signatures, Labour pretended that these issues are under control instead of acknowledging that current regulation is barely monitored and often weakly enforced. Labour concluded that it had no plans to change anything, either through licensing or a ban. 

If this is genuinely Labour’s current stance and it believes that driven grouse shooting is good for wildlife, the environment and people, then it needs to explain to voters:

  1. Why the illegal shooting, trapping and poisoning of birds of prey such as Hen Harriers, Red Kites, Buzzards, Peregrines etc continues on grouse moors even though it’s been illegal for 71 years;
     
  2. Why it thinks the continued burning of heather moorland, particularly in protected areas like blanket bogs, is acceptable in a climate emergency;
     
  3. Why it thinks the mass medication of a supposedly ‘wild’ bird (Red Grouse) with a toxic chemical (Flubendazole) is acceptable when ecotoxicology studies have identified this as an emerging environmental contaminant of acute and chronic toxicity;
     
  4. Why it thinks that the continued use of grit trays (to distribute the drug Flubendazole) is acceptable when this is known to have contributed to the rapid spread of disease (respiratory cryptosporidiosis) on many grouse moors which not only poses welfare concerns but is also a significant threat to biodiversity, especially other avian species of high conservation concern;
     
  5. Why it thinks its acceptable to legally kill up to a quarter of a million animals each year in traps and snares, just to ensure that artificially-high numbers of Red Grouse are available for shooting;
     
  6. Why it thinks it’s morally acceptable or ethical to trap wild birds, particularly crows and other corvids, and subject them to sudden confinement, fear and possible aggression, along with the discomfort of exposure, before finally being ineptly beaten to death;

These are just a few examples of an increasingly large list of concerns about driven grouse shooting. In recent years a number of rural communities that live within areas intensively managed for driven grouse shooting (e.g. Yorkshire Dales National Park, Calderdale, North York Moors National Park, Peak District National Park) have been raising their objections to what is happening to their local environment, particularly the ongoing illegal persecution of birds of prey, the increased risk of flooding, the industrial-scale legal killing of native wildlife, and the effect on public health from harmful smoke and particles from the burning of the grouse moors.

Labour has so far dodged providing any justification for its support of this outdated Edwardian hangover other than saying that “well-managed shooting activities can bring benefits to the rural economy and can be beneficial for wildlife and habitat conservation”. The whole point is that driven grouse shooting isn’t “well managed” at all – it’s largely unregulated and out of control – and is known to have high animal welfare, environmental and social costs. 

Invite your MP to attend the debate

The forthcoming Westminster debate provides the perfect opportunity for Labour to stand up, on record, and tell us why it supports the status quo. It also gives MPs who do want to see driven grouse shooting come to an end an opportunity to make their views heard. 

Some of you have already been writing to your MPs ahead of the debate and have shared with us the responses you’ve received (thank you). But we’d like more of you to do this because (a) it’s important that your MP understands that this issue matters to constituents, and (b) MPs who are interested in environmental and animal welfare issues attend the debate and add to the conversation. 

Please write to your MP, sharing your concerns about driven grouse shooting, and asking them to attend the debate on June 30th. 

We won’t provide you with a template letter/email because we believe that many MPs simply ignore mass mail outs. Instead, we urge you to compose your own, using the six points above as a general outline and/or adding your own personal thoughts. It is worth emphasising to your MP that you are well informed about this issue and that you’ll be watching the debate with interest to see whether they attend, and if so, whether they provide a fair representation of your views.

If you’re not sure who your MP is, you can use this easy online tool to find their contact details.

We mentioned recently that our CEO, Bob Elliot, was interviewed recently by the League Against Cruel Sports talking about our ban driven grouse shooting campaign. It’s a useful reminder of the issues, have a listen here.

You will be able to watch the live debate online here: https://www.youtube.com/UKParliament

Thank you for helping us secure another Westminster debate on this issue and for helping to ensure that a large number of MPs understand its importance to constituency members. Together, we can stand up for wildlife and urge the restoration of our uplands for nature, climate and people.

ENDS

Another Raven found shot dead next to grouse moor in notorious persecution hotspot in Peak District National Park

Press release from RSPB, 9 June 2025:

ANOTHER SHOT RAVEN, THE LATEST VICTIM IN THE PEAK DISTRICT NATIONAL PARK

  • In February 2025 a Raven was found shot near Bradfield, South Yorkshire, following a similar incident in the same area 6 months earlier.
  • This incident is the latest in a series of confirmed persecution incidents involving protected birds in this area of the Peak District National Park in recent years.

In August 2024, a Raven was found shot dead near Agden Side Road, Bradfield – within the Peak District National Park. Although South Yorkshire Police appealed for the public’s help, no one has been charged in connection with the offence. [RPUK comment: it took South Yorkshire Police 3.5 months to issue an appeal for information about this illegal shooting – see here].

We can now reveal that six months later, on 2 February 2025, another dead Raven was discovered by a member of the public – less than three kilometres away from the location of the first incident.

The latest shot Raven. Photo by RSPB

An x-ray revealed several pieces of shot embedded in the Raven’s body. Post-mortem analysis confirmed that it had been shot with a shotgun, and died instantly, or shortly after being shot. The RSPB Investigations team reported the crime to South Yorkshire Police and assisted with the investigation, but again no one has been identified or charged in connection with the incident.

Despite it being illegal to intentionally kill, injure or take a wild bird in the UK, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Ravens and bird of prey species are being illegally targeted and killed in many upland areas of the UK.

Sadly, there is a long history of incidents involving the illegal killing of protected bird species in the Peak District National Park, including birds of prey and Ravens. In addition to the two shot Ravens, in the last five years (2020-2024) 17 illegal persecution incidents involving 17 individual birds of prey, and a dog, have been recorded in the National Park. These confirmed incidents have involved a number of bird of prey species being shot trapped and poisoned, including Buzzards and Short-eared Owls, and also rare and recovering species, such as Peregrine Falcons, Goshawks and a Hen Harrier. These figures are likely to represent the tip of the iceberg as only a fraction of these incidents are detected and reported – with the true figure likely being significantly higher.

In February 2022, a satellite-tagged male Hen Harrier (a red-listed species), disappeared after roosting on a grouse moor in the Peak District National Park. The satellite tag – which the police confirmed had been deliberately cut off – was found three days later, suggesting the bird was shot and the tag removed and discarded away from the location.  This incident would have gone undetected, if the Hen Harrier had not been satellite tagged.

See the table below for more information relating to these crimes. All incidents were reported to the police, but no one has been identified or charged in connection with any of these crimes.

Tom Grose, RSPB Investigations Officer, said: “The ‘Peak District National Park’ – a place many of us visit to enjoy nature – is still a notorious hotspot for the illegal killing of birds of prey and Ravens. These dramatic, upland landscapes should be safe havens for protected species, but time and again we see evidence of serious wildlife crimes. Tragically, what we uncover is likely just the tip of the iceberg. In areas this vast and isolated, many more incidents will go undetected.”

Phil Mulligan, Chief Executive for the Peak District National Park Authority, said:  “Extensive work to restore areas of degraded moorland in the Peak District National Park means the moors are in a better state than they have been for the last 200 years. However, birds of prey, an essential part of the ecosystem, are conspicuously absent or under-represented in many parts of the Peak District. Their illegal killing is a blight on these internationally important moors and deprives people of the spectacular wildlife experiences they provide. The National Park Authority unequivocally condemns wildlife crime and calls on landowners and managers to help prevent the actions of a small number of people from tarnishing the reputation of the majority“.

Many of these incidents have taken place on land managed for grouse shooting and the two Ravens were found very close to grouse moorland, although it is unknown who may have shot them.

The RSPB is urging the UK Government to introduce a licensing scheme in England for grouse shooting (as is now law in Scotland) and gamebird shooting. If criminal activity – such as the killing of protected birds is detected on an estate, then this licence could be revoked, which could be a powerful deterrent.

If you have any information relating to either of these incidents or any other crimes involving the illegal killing or targeting of birds of prey, please contact South Yorkshire Police and the RSPB Investigations team. Call the Police on 101 and fill in the RSPB’s online reporting form: www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/wild-bird-crime-report-form  If you have information about anyone killing Ravens or birds of prey which you wish to report anonymously, please call the RSPB’s confidential Raptor Crime Hotline on 0300 999 0101.

ENDS

All incident grid references either sit within or intersect with the
Peak District National Park boundary.

It took the police 3.5 months to issue an appeal for information about the Raven was found shot in August 2024. This time, it’s been left to the RSPB to issue a press release, four months after the latest Raven was found shot in February 2025. It’s notable that this press release doesn’t include any comment or quote from South Yorkshire Police.

The RSPB press release includes this line:

‘…the two Ravens were found very close to grouse moorland, although it is unknown who may have shot them‘.

Yep, it’s a tricky one, that. Whoever could it have been?

Meanwhile, the issue of banning driven grouse shooting will return to Westminster for another debate on 30 June 2025. The continued illegal shooting, trapping and poisoning of birds of prey (Ravens are not birds of prey but are considered by many to be ‘honorary raptors’ given their similar ecological niche) is one of the core reasons why we continue to call for a ban.

Vengeful shooter sentenced for placing poisoned baits in attempt to frame estate after feud with landowner

In April I blogged about Clive Burgoyne, 38, who had pleaded guilty to placing four poisoned baits on the Guynd Estate in Fife in February 2023, which he did in retaliation to try and frame the estate for raptor persecution after the landowner had revoked permission for Burgoyne to shoot on the estate (see here).

Sentencing was deferred until 5 June for reports. Appearing at Forfar Sheriff Court yesterday, Burgoyne was ordered to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work.

That’s a pitiful sentence and won’t act as any sort of deterrent to anyone else thinking of placing poisoned baits in the countryside.

One of the pheasants used as poisoned bait

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has published the following statement following sentencing:

MAN WHO COVERED PHEASANT CARCASSES IN RAT POISON OVER FEUD WITH LANDOWNER SENTENCED

A man who coated pheasant carcasses in rat poison to bait and injure other legally protected wildlife has been ordered to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work.

Clive Burgoyne, 38, of Forfar, carried out the crime as part of an ongoing feud with a local landowner over shooting rights. 

He hoped that his actions would cause reputational damage to the landowner’s country estate.  

Burgoyne was given the Community Payback Order at Forfar Sheriff Court after he admitted a breach of wildlife legislation between January and February 2023. 

Iain Batho, who leads on wildlife and environmental crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said:  

“It is highly important to preserve Scotland’s natural heritage, including the wildlife that forms part of it. As such, wild birds are given strict protection by our law.  

“Clive Burgoyne’s reckless actions put various wildlife, particularly birds of prey, at risk of injury and death.   

“COPFS takes offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act seriously and will prosecute individuals where there is sufficient evidence of a crime and where it is in the public interest to do so. 

“The result in this case is a testament to the collaborative working between COPFS, Police Scotland, and Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA), who in this case were able to provide vital forensic evidence.” 

Prosecutors told how witnesses saw Burgoyne in the front passenger seat of a car travelling towards, and later away, from the Guynd estate near Arbroath on the morning of February 3, 2023. 

A short time later, an estate worker discovered a dead pheasant on a footpath within the estate. 

The breast had been removed and the bird was covered in a quantity of grain and seed which was then coated in a bright blue liquid. 

A further search of the area revealed three more dead pheasants nearby which had been similarly cut open and treated. 

Analysis carried out by officials at the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture confirmed the blue grain was an anticoagulant rodenticide formulation containing the active ingredient difenacoum.  

They believed the appearance of the pheasant carcases suggested they had been prepared and set out with the intention of causing harm to birds.  

Difenacoum is highly toxic to birds and if consumed causes haemorrhaging. A single feed from a baited carcass would prove fatal to a raptor.  

The court heard that the dead pheasants had clearly been left out in the open to attract non-target species such as birds of prey. 

After being arrested, a sample of Burgoyne’s DNA was found on all four of the dead birds. 

ENDS

It’s worth repeating what I wrote after Burgoyne had pleaded guilty in April.

The irony of this case won’t be lost on many of us. Many within the game-shooting industry have long made unsubstantiated allegations that conservationists and animal rights activists have ‘planted evidence’ of poisoned baits in order to frame estates for alleged raptor persecution but as far as I’m aware, none of these claims have ever been proven.

Now that a ‘framing’ case has been proven, it turns out it was a spurned shooter wot dun it, not a conservationist or an animal rights activist. You couldn’t make it up!