25/11/2010
The illegal killing of protected birds of prey across Scotland has been condemned by the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee in a report published today.
In its Stage 1 report on the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill, the committee condemns raptor poisoning as wholly unacceptable. It urged the Scottish Government to back every police force in Scotland to rigorously investigate suspected cases.
The committee also gave a cautious welcome to the Scottish Government’s intention to amend the Bill to establish “vicarious liability” for raptor poisoning. This could make third parties, such as land owners who ask employees to carry out illegal poisoning of birds of prey, also liable for the crime. However, some members of the committee remain unconvinced about how workable or appropriate this law would be.
Committee Convener Maureen Watt MSP said:
“We utterly condemn wildlife crime and the poisoning of iconic birds of prey such as the golden eagle and the hen harrier. The law clearly needs to be strengthened and introducing vicarious liability appears to most of us to be a step in the right direction.”
The report made recommendations in a number of other areas:
- While the committee deeply respects those who have a principled opposition to snaring, it also recognises that snares can be an effective land management tool. It supports the increased regulation on snaring, more training in snare handling and measures to reduce the potential suffering of animals caught by snares.
- The committee supports establishing a general legal presumption against releasing any non-native species of plant or animal into the wild in Scotland.
- The committee wants to see a more effective hands-on approach to the management of wild deer in Scotland. This would include greater use of back-up powers to ensure Deer Management Groups, composed of local landowners operating on a voluntary basis, take steps to keep local deer populations at sustainable levels.
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