RSPB Scotland has called for greater regulation of grouse moors as a report detailed illegal bird of prey killings.
According to the charity’s UK-wide annual report, Birdcrime 2017, published today, there were five incidents of illegal raptor persecution in Scotland last year.
These include shootings of a hen harrier and short-eared owl on a grouse moor in south west Scotland in May 2017, two nests destructions and one other incident.
However, Scottish Land & Estates, which represents landowners including sporting estates, said illegal bird of prey killings are at a record low and grouse moor licensing is “not needed”.
The RSPB says it has reason to believe there are more illegal incidents going undiscovered or unreported due to the disappearance of satellite-tagged birds of prey, including two golden eagles last year. Bodies were not found in these incidents, so the statistics are not included in the report, but the charity said as the tags continue transmitting after death, the ceasing of transmission and lack of bodies is “highly suspicious”.
Ian Thomson, RSPB Scotland’s head of investigations said: “Recent population surveys have continued to show the impact that persecution is having on Scotland’s birds of prey is considerable, even though only a small proportion of incidents are being detected.
“Only a few raptors are satellite-tagged each year but the fact that so many of them ‘disappear’ almost exclusively in areas managed for grouse shooting, never to be found or heard from again, suggests that not only have they come to harm, but also that a significant number of those birds which aren’t tagged are also being illegally killed.”
He added: “It’s clear that those perpetrating these crimes have become more adept at covering their tracks, making it harder to uncover these incidents, and that there needs to be more accountability and regulation of the driven grouse industry if the future of birds of prey in Scotland is to be secure.”
His colleague Duncan Orr-Ewing, head of species and land management, called for driven grouse moors to be licensed with sanctions for license removal if illegal activity is discovered.
David Johnstone, chairman of Scottish Land & Estates, said raptor persecution is “totally unacceptable”.
He added: “Reports published recently demonstrate that the confirmed illegal persecution of raptors is declining and is at an all-time low and we expect this trend to continue.
“Further legislation, such as grouse moor licensing, as demanded by RSPB, is not needed. It would be a sledgehammer to crack a nut and would place yet another bureaucratic burden on a sector that delivers widespread social, economic and environmental benefits in rural Scotland.”
He said “some satellite-tagged birds may have been persecuted in the past” but the tags can malfunction.
He called for openness and transparency regarding satellite monitoring of birds including having tags transmitting live on a public website, adding: “We have nothing to hide, so let everyone see it.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Gamekeepers Association dismissed the RSPB’s report: “Raptor persecution levels, thankfully, are at historic lows today in Scotland and the SGA wants to see that progress continuing. We will wait to comment on the official Scottish Government statistics rather than commenting on an unofficial RSPB publication.”
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