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.
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:
Raptor Persecution UK 
“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.“
“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”
Cough – something not quite right, here.
Chloralose (also known as alphachloralose) and Bendiocarb (the two substances used to kill the Red Kite, above) are NOT on the list of approved pesticides in the Health & Safety Executive’s Register.
https://www.hse.gov.uk/pesticides/active-substances/register.htm
Therefore, in law, they become ‘banned’.
The above statement by “A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs” that “storing (being in possession of) ..a Plant Protection Product (PPP) that has been banned, is an offence” is UNTRUE.
The reason it is untrue is because in Northern Ireland it is not illegal to possess a banned pesticide; if it were, the petition from the NI Raptor Study Group would not be necessary!
“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.
See https://raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/06/17/50000-signature-petition-calling-for-ban-on-possession-of-poisons-handed-into-stormont-northern-ireland/
(Here is the list of ten already banned poisons (including alphachlorase and bendiocarb) for which possession is not illegal in Northern Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/ban-the-possession-of-dangerous-pesticides-in-northern-ireland )
The untrue statement appears in the Press release from Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), 25 June 2025. (see above).
Unless I am misled, neither the Police Service of Northern Ireland nor DAERA appear to know what is what.
And once again, we see very highly paid lawmakers in the UK failing to competently complete wildlife legislation. I wonder why, and what should be done about it?
Could this be because it took 6 months to get the results of the toxicology tests> They prove that a crime has taken place. Perhaps rather than having a go at the police pressure should be made on the the system that takes far too log to get the results