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Update on ‘missing’ or dead satellite-tagged raptors: golden eagle, Grampian

Let’s start with the sat-tagged golden eagle that was found dead, with two broken legs, in a lay-by in Aboyne in May. This is the eagle whose death was not reported until four months after it was found dead (see here). The evidence suggests this bird was caught in a trap on a grouse moor near to Brechin, Angus and was moved, while still alive, in the middle of the night and dumped in a lay-by in Aberdeenshire and left to die.

This incident prompted widespread outrage and the new Environment Minister, Paul Wheelhouse MSP, was apparently inundated with letters of complaint. Most people who wrote have now received a response, probably all similar to this one (see here). The Minister’s response provoked almost as much fury as the actual death of this eagle, and particularly the second paragraph:

“I agree that the media reports were a terrible story of the suffering of a young golden eagle. The reports may suggest that the circumstances of this incident were suggestive of an offence however there is no hard evidence and it remains possible that there is an alternative explanation. It is therefore inappropriate for me to comment”.

We have since received unverified information (but from several independent sources) that the police have accepted the veterinary evidence that showed this eagle was indeed caught in a trap. We also understand that this veterinary evidence has been passed to the SGA and that apparently they are not disputing the findings (although they have yet to make a public statement – we wait with interest to hear about the findings of their own ‘inquiry’ (see here).

Why then did the Environment Minister’s response suggest that this eagle’s death was not neccessarily linked to a criminal offence? What possible “alternative explanation” is there to account for the death of this eagle? We’d like to hear it, and we’d also like to see details of the veterinary report. If these details can be released to the SGA then they should be released into the public domain for everyone to see. Send your email request to: ministerforenvironment@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

North Yorks gamekeeper arrested over alleged misuse of bird trap

A news article in today’s York Press reports that an un-named gamekeeper has been arrested over the alleged illegal use of cage traps.

North Yorks Police said a live buzzard was found caught inside a trap, which apparently was inside a pheasant pen (?!) in the Pickering area. The buzzard was released unharmed, and a second trap containing a live pigeon was found nearby.

The article can be read here. There’s no mention of who the gamekeeper is, nor the name of the estate/farm/land which was searched under a police warrant. There’s also no information about when these alleged incidents took place. No information is available on the North Yorks police website either.

A statement attributed to investigating police officer PC Stewart Ashton appears in the newspaper article:

“Police are receiving a growing amount of evidence that raptors are being routinely shot, trapped and poisoned by gamekeepers throughout the Ryedale area. This is just the latest incident in what appears to be a persistent breaking of the law by a significant number of gamekeepers. This is a hidden crime which usually goes unreported. Sadly, what we are seeing is just the tip of a very big iceberg“.

An earlier blog entry from March 2012 about a poisoned red kite found in this area can be read here. Again the story was published in the York Press but precious few details were released.

In May 2011, a gamekeeper from Ryedale was convicted of shooting a badger. David Stephen Welford pleaded guilty at Scarborough Magistrates Court and was fined £385 and ordered to pay £100 court costs. York Press news article here.

Overview of parliamentary wildlife crime report

Regular readers will have been aware of the cross-party parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee’s inquiry into the extent of willdife crime in the UK (see here, here, here and here for previous blog entries on this topic).

Yesterday, the EAC published what can only be described as a damning report. You can read it here, and the supplementary written evidence here. Apparently, DEFRA will be responding to the report in December.

Much has been written about these findings so rather than repeat what has already been printed we thought it might be useful to provide all the links in one place so you can read it for yourselves.

BBC News article here

RSPB press release here

The Guardian article here

The Independent article here

Mark Avery’s blog here

We’ve looked for press releases from the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, Moorland Association, Countryside Alliance and BASC (all of whom gave evidence to this inquiry) but so far we haven’t found anything.

Appeal for info after Marsh harrier poisoned (in May!)

The RSPB has put up a £1,000 reward for information leading to a conviction after a marsh harrier was found poisoned on Goxhill marshes in Humberside. Their reward money is probably quite safe, as the harrier was found poisoned on 27th May 2012!

It’s worth noticing again that it’s the RSPB putting out the news of this latest poisoning incident, and not the police, and yet again it’s many months (almost five) too late. Isn’t it strange that we have to rely upon a charity to inform us about these crimes. Where are the police and where is the sense of urgency??

Full details of this poisoning can be read here

Er, about that Langholm raven-killing licence

A couple of days ago we blogged about those raven-killing licences that have been issued by SNH and the well-dodgy procedures in place to ensure these licences are issued all above board and in line with the regulations, e.g. issued for ‘livestock protection’ as opposed to game management (see here). We also mentioned the raven-killing livestock protection licence that had apparently been issued at Langholm this year.

Since then, someone has been in touch (thank you – you know who you are!) to tell us that the raven-killing livestock protection licence at Langholm needs closer scrutiny. Why? Well, remember that these raven-killing livestock protection licences are issued under the pretext of protecting livestock (i.e. in this case, sheep)? Well, according to our informant, the sheep have been removed from Langholm as part of the heather regeneration scheme!

We tried to find verification of this but all we could find were two pieces of information:

1. Simon Lester, head gamekeeper at Langholm, quoted on the Langholm Moor blog on 10th Sept 2012: “The silver birch is encroaching on to the moor now the sheep have been removed to help heather regeneration” (blog link here).

2. A statement in a recent MSc disseration: “Since 2009, a programme of sheep stock reductions and off-wintering has been implemented across the Moor (SNH, 2010). This has resulted in a zero-stocking density for a large proportion of the central and southern areas of the Moor” (Donald Scott, Sept 2012, “Habitat Condition Assessment for Langolm Moor”, MSc Imperial College London, see link here).

The SNH publication cited is this: SNH (2010). Stock changes in Langholm Moor under the Scottish Rural Development Scheme. Briefing Note.

Unfortunately we haven’t been able to find an on-line copy of this document. If anyone has a copy we’d be interested in reading it.

Let’s assume that the information we’ve received is accurate and the sheep have indeed been removed from Langholm – in that case we might be asking why would SNH, who are project partners in the Langholm Project (and therefore presumably know what’s going on), issue a raven-killing livestock protection licence if there weren’t any sheep left to ‘protect’?

According to the Langholm Project website (see here), the SNH contact is Des Thompson. Here’s his email address if anyone wants to get clarification about this situation: Des.Thompson@snh.gov.uk

RSPB shows its teeth over Walshaw grouse moor management

The RSPB has lodged a formal complaint to the European Commission over the way Natural England has (mis?)handled its dealings with the Walshaw Moor Estate near Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, concerning moor management regimes.  A couple of previous posts on this here and here).

Brilliant news! Well done RSPB – nice to see your teeth bared – good on you!

RSPB Conservation Director Martin Harper explains the decision to lodge this complaint here

An excellent summary (and detailed history) of the Natural England / Walshaw Moor fiasco can be found on Mark Avery’s blog here.

How many licences have been issued to kill so-called ‘protected’ ravens?

‘How many licences have been issued to kill ravens?’ This was one of a series of raven-killing questions asked recently of the Scottish Government by Alison Johnstone MSP (Lothian, Scottish Green Party).

Here’s the full suite of her written questions lodged on 18th September 2012:

S4W-09688 Alison Johnstone: To ask the Scottish Government how many licences to kill ravens were granted by (a) it and (b) Scottish Natural Heritage in (i) 2011 and (ii) 2012 and what the grounds were for granting such licences, broken down by local authority.

S4W-09689 Alison Johnstone: To ask the Scottish Government how many multi-annual licences to kill ravens have been granted since 2011, broken down by local authority.

S4W-09690 Alison Johnstone: To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of holders of licences to kill ravens indicated that they had made kills in 2011 and how many birds were killed.

S4W-09691 Alison Johnstone: To ask the Scottish Government how many licences to kill ravens have not been renewed by Scottish Natural Heritage because of non-compliance with conditions in each year since 2011.

S4W-09692 Alison Johnstone: To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Natural Heritage will publish details annually of the number of ravens killed under licence.

S4W-09693 Alison Johnstone: To ask the Scottish Government what factors are considered when considering granting a licence to kill ravens.

S4W-09694 Alison Johnstone: To ask the Scottish Government whether there are licensing restrictions to control the killing of ravens in nests during the breeding season.

S4W-09695 Alison Johnstone: To ask the Scottish Government what checks are made to ensure that livestock protection licences to kill ravens are not used for game management.

The answers provided by Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse are quite interesting (see here for full script). SNH took over the responsibility of issuing licences from 1st July 2011 – previously the Scottish Government had issued them.

It’s fascinating to learn what factors are considered by SNH when considering whether to grant one of these licences. Apparently, “SNH relies on expert advice from site visits made by Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (SGRPID) staff to inform licensing decisions“. Interesting. I wonder how many ornithologists and/or ecologists work for SGRPID?

It’s also fascinating to learn that SNH also relies upon SGRPID to make site visit checks to ensure that livestock protection licences (which is how these raven-killing licences are defined) to kill ravens are not used for game management. Apparently if allegations were made in this respect, then SNH would rely upon the police to investigate. Perhaps that’s why, in answer to Alison’s question about how many licences to kill ravens have not been renewed by SNH (since 2011) because of non-compliance with the conditions of the licence, Mr Wheelhouse replied: “To date, no such cases have occurred“. Really?

Another interesting piece of information to emerge from these written questions and answers is the confirmation that a raven-killing licence was issued in the Scottish Borders for 2012. Now, according to our sources, a raven-killing licence was issued at Langholm this year. Hopefully more detailed information about this will appear on the Langholm project website in due course. Is this a fore-runner to the issuing of a buzzard-killing licence at Langholm? We are aware that, unofficially at least, there is great interest in ‘controlling’ buzzards at Langholm amongst some of the project partners. Thankfully, so far, there has also been strong opposition to this move by some of the other project partners. You don’t need to be Einstein to work out which partners are for and which are against.

Finally, Mr Wheelhouse assures us that “SNH is considering how to publish statistics [of the annual number of ravens killed under licence] in the future“.

Well done Alison Johnstone MSP for asking some probing questions.

Trout farmer convicted for illegal use of spring traps

A topical story given today’s discussions…

A Scottish trout farmer has been convicted of illegally trapping a heron by using spring traps. Simon Duffin, 61, of Morrinton, was convicted at Dumfries Sheriff Court yesterday and was fined £1,500. He admitted recklessly injuring the bird in a trap likely to cause injury to a wild bird, and setting in position a trap likely to cause bodily injury to any animal at Cargenglen Trout Farm in Dumfries. (Surely not the same Simon Duffin mentioned here offering worldwide advice on all aspects of trout farming?).

A member of the public found the injured heron in the water with a Fenn spring trap around its leg. The bird’s injuries were so severe that it had to be euthanised.

Well done to the SSPCA (again) for a successful prosecution and special mention should go to the Procurator Fiscal Pamela Rhodes. Now if only Pamela had been given that third wildlife crime specialist spot that she apparently applied for at COPFS last year….

SSPCA press release here

Is this what happened to the Langholm harriers?

Is this what happened to this year’s Langholm harrier chicks, Barry and Blae? (Blae confirmed dead, Barry now ‘missing’ – see this morning’s blog entry below).

These photos were taken on Moy Estate in 2010. Naturally, nobody was charged with these offences. Probably not enough “hard evidence”, eh? One gamekeeper (James Rolfe) was charged with possession of a dead red kite that was found in the back of his vehicle. The kite had two broken legs and its head had been caved in with a blunt instrument (see here and here for background info).

This first photograph shows a skinned rabbit that had been placed out on the moor. Can you see the hidden spring traps on either side of this bait? No? Any passing raptor would probably struggle to see them, too:

This next photo shows another bait found set on Moy with two spring traps. This time the moss has been removed so the traps could be photographed. These traps are illegal when used in this way:

This next photo shows a hen harrier caught in one of the illegal traps that had been laid out on Moy Estate. The picture is slightly blurred but we can forgive the photographer, given the circumstances:

Here’s the same harrier being carefully removed from the trap. This one was lucky – he survived:

‘Barry’ the Langholm harrier is “missing”

Here’s the latest blog entry from the Langholm Moorland blogspot (link here):

Heartbreaking

The sun is shining here in Langholm, which is an incredibly rare and usually heart warming occurance, but today my heart is heavy. Sadly and all too predictably Barry (the young male hen harrier fledged from Langholm this year) has has gone the way of so many others.
Barry’s last fix was transmitted on the 2nd of October, although he was seen on the morning of 4th of October, when he was observed coming out of a roost by a raptor worker. His tag was due to transmit on the evening of the 4th, and his previous transmissions were always regular. There was no transmission then or subsequently. At this stage, we have to presume that he is dead, and it is very unlikely that there has been any transmitter failure. Most of his previous movements were associated with grouse moors. The police have been kept informed and the search for the carcass is underway and ongoing. 
We are still awaiting toxicology reports from the female Harrier Blae.
But don’t you go worrying your pretty little heads about this latest incident. There’s “no hard evidence” to suggest his ‘disappearance’ is a result of criminal activity, and anyway, the PAW Scotland partnership will have a chat about it over soft biscuits and coffee.
Fucking outrageous.
Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse’s email address: ministerforenvironment@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
First Minister Alex Salmond’s email address: FirstMinister@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Previous blog entries about Blae & Barry here, here, here, here, here