Raptor persecution is hitting the Yorkshire Dales' reputation
National park bosses said persecution of birds of prey is damaging the area’s reputation.
The Yorkshire Dales authority said it abhors the illegal targeting of raptors and will do what it can to bring perpetrators to justice.
The stance by the national park authority follows a case where a junior gamekeeper on the Mossdale grouses-shooting estate was given a police caution for setting pole traps, which have been illegal for more than 100 years.
The 23-year-old man, from the Hawes area, was secretly filmed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds resetting three of the traps, which snap shut on birds’ legs.
The RSPB was critical of North Yorkshire Police’s decision to issue the man with a simple caution rather than prosecuting him through the courts.
Chairman Peter Charlesworth: 'We abhor the illegal persecution'. Photo: YDNPA
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority chairman Peter Charlesworth said: “We abhor the illegal persecution of birds of prey and we will continue to support the police and Natural England in any way we can to help bring the perpetrators of these sorts of crimes to justice.
“The pole trap incident happened on a grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales national park. This land, like the vast majority of the National Park, is in private ownership.
“At a time when the Yorkshire Dales is receiving such widespread recognition as a wonderful place to visit, it’s incredibly disappointing that the criminal persecution of birds of prey continues to damage the reputation of the area.
“We know that birds of prey are a big attraction to the millions of visitors that come here, so these acts are causing economic damage as well as appalling harm to wildlife.
“The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recently published a national plan to increase the English hen harrier population, which was developed in conjunction with Natural England, the RSPB, the Moorland Association and others, including national park authorities. We stand ready to assist those organisations, and work with our partners right along the Pennines to help deliver locally on the intent in that national plan.
“In the meantime, we will continue to support the police in any way we can to identify those responsible for any illegal killings and to bring them to justice.”
Following the police decision on the Mossdale case, Bob Elliot, head of RSPB investigations, said: “These are dreadful barbaric devices and have no place in the 21st century. North Yorkshire has long held the unenviable reputation of the worst county in England for raptor persecution.
“The sighting of a hen harrier in the immediate area is of particular concern. This species is nearly extinct as a breeding species in England and it last bred successfully in North Yorkshire in 2007 despite huge areas of suitable habitat.
“Earlier this year [the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] launched its hen harrier action plan, which has been supported by shooting organisations. Yet again, we have seen that there appears to be little sign that birds of prey will be tolerated in our uplands.
“These crimes are extremely difficult to investigate. While we are grateful for the excellent police response in attending this incident, we simply do not understand the decision to issue a caution for such a serious case. We will be writing to the police to ask for an explanation of this decision.
North Yorkshire Police said, in response to the RSPB’s criticism: “The investigation led the suspect, a 23-year-old man from the Hawes area, to go to Richmond police station as a voluntary attendee on 22 May.
“He made a full and frank admission to using the illegal spring pole traps near Widdale Fell, which were initially reported to the police on 10 May by the RSPB who had obtained video evidence of the offence.
“All options in how to deal with the man were considered, including a prosecution at court. However, based on the case at hand, it was decided the most appropriate course of action was to give him an adult caution.”
margaret woodall
08 June 2016Anyone found killing any type of bird should be prosecuted. What is it with this country and our sense of justice, we are getting as bad as the USA will allowing killing of our wildlife. Our Police have lost their way in deciding what is right or wrong with animal persecution. Proper sentences have to be a deterrent otherwise these acts will continue.
outdoorsAndy
08 June 2016Greed Margaret, 100%. The land owner, his employer, needs prosecuting. They need their subsidies removed and their gun licences revoked.
The problem is the establishment are the ones that pay the thousands to shoot the poor birds in the first place. They are given land subsidies! But when you have the princess of the crown shooting, you know your in trouble.
Sign the petition about banning driven bird shooting. It will never happen, but it can send a message that we are sick of the miss-guided destruction of nature, so that the 1% can then shoot some other nature for "fun".
As for the police, I can be claimed to be cynical about it all. It seems they are ever more in the establishments pocket. Just look at the tweet from the North Yorkshire police regarding demonstrations around fracking.
Its a sad time for those who care about nature. However, the good news is, our numbers grow and we need to use this to increase awareness and the importance of the cause of conservation. We only have one planet and it needs to function well for use to survive, let alone thrive!
Evan Owen
08 June 2016I can't understand why this man is doing this but those of us with poultry know what it is like trying to protect them from predators such as badgers and birds of prey. One hen harrier here is so large it could carry off a small dog or lamb.
Rod Hepplewhite
08 June 2016The easiest way to stop raptor persecution would be to significantly increase the penalties and then change the route of prosecution - prosecute the landowner / shooting estate operator rather than the gamekeeper or as well as, with the greatest burden of the sentence falling on the landowner / shooting estate operator. Should we consider a 'red card' punishment, banning shooting on the offending estate for 12 months?
Paul Whiter
08 June 2016Evan Owen, this is a very misguided opinion. A Hen Harrier would not be capable of carrying a small dog or lamb! A hen harrier weighs approx 10-14 ozs, so this is a physical impossibility, Hen Harriers take small mammals such as mice or moles, or small birds such as sparrows etc.
Reg Oakley
09 June 2016I would just like to second the comment made by Paul Whiter and add that it is some sort of sick joke in the UK that shooting and conservation are often used in the same sentence.
Caro McAdam
09 June 2016Agreed, Rod Hepplewhite: we need a wholesale overhaul of the way these things are dealt with. The discovery of illegal traps should be enough for the police to obtain a warrant to search the estate & seize anything else. How is it that people are continuously getting away with possession of illegal traps and illegal pesticides? Would some sort of amnesty work? Doubtful.
My impression is that these people think themselves above the law and that in the huge spaces of the moors believe their crimes to be undetectable. It's incredibly depressing.
Graham Shepherd
09 June 2016Everyone knows the answer - a law of vicarious liability. If it happens on your watch, you are the one in court, not one of your lackies. That is the situation in factories, service industries and all other employment. If an employee causes injury, deliberately or through negligence, the employer has to answer for it.
Vicarious liability law works in Scotland, why not here?
oudoorsAndy
10 June 2016Sadly, at the moment, killing animals for fun is not going to stop, (I choose the word killing, I personally believe there is a difference from hunting in these "sports").
The law needs to change and the the present law needs enforcing.
However, what also needs to change is the mentality of the owners and keepers. Grouse number are extremely high at present, mainly due to control of parasitic worms. We need to educate and somehow drag this community into the scientific arena. (I would argue this for farming in general, if medicine for example took their lead from farming we would still be using leaches).
How we affect this culture change is a headache, but we need a dialogue with these people. Such an annoying and difficult situation and one that needs to stop.
Happily however, the comments above show there are enlightened people out there, (but not you Evan, never mind), and there are people who want change. Our numbers grow and this is a good thing ;)