Author: RaptorPersecutionUK

More on the Moy case

According to an article published in The Scotsman (view here), a post mortem carried out on the dead red kite discovered in the vehicle used by gamekeeper James Rolfe on Moy Estate last June, revealed it had broken legs and had died as a result of a blow to the head. Rolfe was convicted for being in possession of the dead kite. Why weren’t charges brought against anyone for the unlawful killing of this bird?

In the same article, it is reported that over a five-week period, the remains of a further two dead red kites, six illegal baited spring traps, a trapped hen harrier, and a poison bait laced with a banned agricultural pesticide (poison) were also recovered from the estate. No arrests or charges have been made in connection with these incidents.

Why not?

In an article in Birdwatch Magazine, further gruesome details are revealed about the discovery of a severed red kite leg and wing tags belonging to a red kite that was being followed by satellite tracking, all hidden in holes covered by moss. The article also reports that four golden eagle leg rings were discovered in Rolfe’s possession. No arrests or charges have been made in connection with these incidents.

Why not?

You may wish to ask the following people:

Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service: pn_copfs@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Northern Constabulary Force Wildlife Crime Co-ordinator, Chief Inspector Matthew Reiss: matthew.reiss@northern.pnn.police.uk

Environment Minister for Scotland, Stewart Stevenson MSP: msp@stewartstevenson.net

Moy Estate results

Today at Inverness Sheriff Court, gamekeeper James Roderick Rolfe, 20, was convicted of being in possession of a dead red kite which was found in his vehicle during a police raid on the Moy Estate in June last year. Rolfe said he had found the kite caught in a trap set for stoats. It had not been poisoned. Rolfe was fined £1,500 for possession of the dead bird.

The images here show the dead kite in the back of his vehicle. No explanation has been given to account for the obvious injury this bird suffered to its head area. According to the Inverness Courier, Rolfe claimed the bird was already dead when he found it.

Another gamekeeper working on Moy Estate was accused of being in possession of 56 gull eggs. The court accepted his plea of not guilty.

Northern Constabulary press statement

Inverness Courier news report

Skibo Estate results

Dean Barr, a gamekeeper (and reported elsewhere as being the sporting manager) on the Skibo Castle Estate, has been convicted of having enough illegal poison “to wipe out the entire Scottish golden eagle and red kite populations several times over”. Barr, 44, of East Lodge, Clashmore, Dornoch, admitted possessing 10kg of the banned pesticide Carbofuran. He admitted carrying the poison from his previous job as head gamekeeper on the Raeshaw Estate to Skibo Castle Estate in 2008, because he had ‘not known how to safely dispose of it’.

The Carbofuran haul was discovered in a locked store on the Skibo Castle Estate, for which Barr had the keys. According to the Northern Times and Northern Constabulary, the poison was discovered within premises operated and solely accessed by Barr on Skibo Estate land.

Today he was fined £3,300 “to mark the court’s disapproval”. This was apparently reduced from a £5,000 fine for his early plea.

Despite this conviction, the Crown accepted he had ‘no part’ in the deaths of two poisoned golden eagles and a sparrowhawk (killed with Carbofuran) found on the estate in May 2010 (along with a dead buzzard and a third poisoned golden eagle killed by Aldicarb).

Barr’s defence lawyer said Barr was well regarded personally and professionally by his current and previous employers. “If it was thought that he was involved in the use of this material, they would not be so supportive”.

This is not the last we will write on this case.

The Scotsman news story

BBC news story

STV news story

New Environment Minister in town

Stewart Stevenson MSP is the newly appointed Environment Minister, replacing Roseanna Cunningham MSP. The newly re-elected MSP for Banffshire & Buchan Coast made the following comment about his new role:

“I am delighted to be part of the Rural Affairs team in the new Scottish Government. As an early priority we shall be working closely with UK Ministers in particular to ensure that Scottish interests are properly represented in the European Union. Where we have the powers, we shall seek to work with rural, marine and environmental stakeholders to ensure that we understand and respond to their needs and concerns. For me personally, this is a superb opportunity to work in Government on a range of issues in which I have personal interest. I look forward to working with First Minister Alex Salmond and Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead and the rest of our strong team.”

Stewart is no stranger to the raptor persecution issue. In 2003, he was part of a panel listening to a petition put forward by the SGA for licences to kill raptors (yes, here we go again). We have covered this discussion in the past, but we’re re-posting the minutes here because they’re so entertaining they’re worth a second read. Especially the parts where Bert Burnett and Alex Hogg of the SGA have their ‘evidence’ of the ‘raptor problem’ shredded in seconds. Stewart Stevenson MSP is active throughout the discussion, both with the SGA and later with representatives from SNH.

In due course, we look forward to hearing Stewart’s views on how this Scottish government intends to deal with the on-going criminal persecution of Scotland’s raptors, given that the measures introduced by previous governments are clearly no deterrent.

Stewart Stevenson MSP webpage

Another poisoned buzzard discovered nr Grantown-on-Spey

When will this end? Yet another poisoned buzzard has been discovered in Scotland, and has tested positive for the banned pesticides Carbofuran and Aldicarb, according to government scientists at SASA.

Northern Constabulary have put out a carefully-worded press statement, saying the poisoned bird was retreived ‘from hill ground near Bridge of Brown”, which is on the A939 road between Grantown on Spey and Tomintoul, inside the Cairngorms National Park. They do not say when the buzzard was discovered, nor who owns the land where it was discovered. The culture of secrecy surrounding criminal raptor persecution continues.

You will not be surprised to learn that there is a prominent sporting estate that covers ‘hill ground near the Bridge of Brown’, although of course, their proximity to the incident does not imply they are responsible for this incident – no, no, no, its obviously an unhappy geographical coincidence. Northern Constabulary are investigating so no doubt the real criminals will soon be uncovered and brought to justice.

Thank goodness our government took such a tough line against the raptor persecutors during the last parliamentary session, eh? Otherwise we’d be seeing more of these incidents on a regular basis….

Northern Constabulary press statement: http://www.northern.police.uk/News-and-Media/news-item.htm?item_id=PR3316_2011

BBC news: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-13544977

Reward offered for info on missing osprey

Members of the public have put up a £1,000 reward for information about a missing osprey, feared shot. The bird, known as Osprey 08, has been missing since 11 May 2011 in an area where two other ospreys have gone ‘missing’ since April 2010. Conservationists at the Rutland Water Osprey Project have been feeding fish to 08’s partner as she incubates eggs. She is reported to have now abandoned her nest, and the Project Team are hoping to save her eggs by moving them to another active nest.

If anyone has any information about the missing osprey, please call Leicester Police on: 0116 222 2222 or call the Osprey Project Team on: 01572 737378.

Osprey Project Team’s blog: http://www.ospreys.org.uk/category/osprey-team-blog/

BBC news story about the reward: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-13526489

Vicarious liability for raptor poisoning featured on forthcoming tv programme

The issue of vicarious liability for raptor poisoning incidents will feature in a forthcoming episode of ‘Landward’. It includes an interview with SGA chairman Alex Hogg, who will probably discuss his on-going (but so far thwarted) campaign to legalise raptor killing.

The 30 minute programme airs on Friday 27 May 2011 at 7 pm on BBC 2 Scotland. Also available on Channel 990 for Sky viewers, and BBC iPlayer shortly after transmission.

“Landowner Liability: In Scotland, poisoning raptors is a criminal offence punishable with a fine and a jail sentence, yet the slaughter continues. Arguments over birds of prey have raged for decades, but are now coming to a head with the inclusion of vicarious liability for landowners in the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill, recently introduced by the Scottish Parliament. This means that landowners will be held legally responsible for birds poisoned on their land. Dougie Vipond investigates how this new clause will affect land management in Scotland“.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011lg7s

Roseanna Cunningham MSP stands firm on licences to kill raptors

Following on from the recent publicity about Scottish landowners demanding licences to kill protected birds of prey (see here and here),  last week Elaine Murray MSP (Labour: Dumfriesshire) kicked off the new parliamentary session with the following question:

“To ask the Scottish Executive whether it remains its position that ‘the balance of public interest [is] not at present in favour of issuing licences for the control of birds of prey to protect non-native reared game birds’ as stated by the Minister for Environment at the meeting of the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee on 3 November 2010 (Official Report c. 3330“. (Written question SW4-00007)

Roseanna Cunningham MSP gave a succint, one word answer: “Yes“.

Meanwhile, Alex Hogg (Chairman of the SGA) continues with the ridiculous argument that buzzards are “decimating all our wildlife“. He was talking to a BBC Scotland film crew at the time, for a forthcoming edition of Landward. I’m sure we’ll all look forward to watching that and listening to the scientific evidence that Alex puts forward to back up his claim: http://www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk/content/19th-may

Adjournment #4 in case against Moy gamekeepers

The case against Moy gamekeepers James Roderick Rolfe and Wayne Grant was heard at Inverness Sheriff Court today. No plea was taken and the case has been adjourned for the 4th time. It will continue on 26 May 2011.

Both men face charges under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981. Rolfe is accused of possessing a dead red kite at the Gate Lodge, Moy on 3 June 2010. Grant is accused of having 56 black-headed gull eggs in an outbuilding at his home on the same date.

For background info on this case please see blog posts 3 June 2010, 4 June 2010, 23 March 2011, 8 April 2011 and 5 May 2011.

Case against Inverinate Estate gamekeeper to continue in October

The case against Andrew Malcom Slaughter, gamekeeper on the Inverinate Estate, Lochalsh, will continue at Inverness Sheriff Court on 12 October 2011 for a debate. This is an intermediate step in procedure when legal points are considered.

Slaughter is charged with offences under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 and the Agriculture (Scotland) Act 1948. Background info on this case can be found in blog posts on 23 March 2011, 8 April 2011 and 28 April 2011.