Monitoring and conserving Scotland's birds of prey
A leaked plan by the game-shooting lobby to remove pine martens from woodlands around Aviemore in the Highlands has sparked fierce opposition from wildlife groups. Details here and here.
PCJamie Hood, the newly-appopinted police wildlife crime liaison officer for the Lothians & Borders, is calling on members of the public to report suspected wildlife crimes to help the police tackle this problem. Further information here.
Here’s a fantastic job opportunity for an experienced raptor fieldworker. A three year position and a decent salary (£35k). These opportunities don’t come along very often! Closing date 28th November 2014. Full details: http://jobs.newscientist.com/en-gb/job/1401537245/golden-eagle-project-officer-great-glen-scotland
The Scottish Raptor Study Group is sorry to see that Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse MSP has been ‘re-shuffled’ in the new SNP Cabinet and has been moved to another post. We’ve worked closely with Paul through the Partnership for Wildlife Crime (PAW Scotland) and we thank him for his efforts in addressing wildlife crime, and particularly with the on-going issue of raptor persecution. We wish him well in his new position. The new Environment Minister is Aileen McLeod MSP and we look forward to a fruitful and productive relationship.
A resolution to tackle the issue of raptor persecution was ‘passed with acclaim’ (no dissenters) during the recent Scottish National Party’s annual conference in Perthshire. Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse spoke passionately about the topic and warned of the introduction of further punitive measures if these crimes don’t stop. Details here.
The Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs, Climate Change & Environment (RACCE) Committee has been hearing evidence from Police Scotland, the Crown Office and Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse on the Government’s second annual report on willdife crime (2013). Transcripts of these hearings can be read here (Police Scotland & COPFS) and here (Environment Minister).
Dave Thompson MSP has called on the Justice Secretary to undertake a review of the police investigation into the illegal posioning of 22 raptors in Ross-shire earlier this year. Further details here.
The Scottish Raptor Study Group will be submitting a response to the Government’s Wildlife Crime Penalties Review Commitee. This Committee was established earlier this year, at the behest of Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse, to examine and report on how wildlife crime in Scotland is dealt with by the criminal courts, with particular reference to the range of penalties available and whether these are sufficient for the purposes of deterrence. Details of the work of this Committee here.