Monitoring and conserving Scotland's birds of prey
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.
A 100-year-old Perthshire tree, home to Scotland’s oldest breeding osprey, has been named Scottish Tree of the Year. ‘Lady’s Tree’ , a pine at the Loch of the Lowes Nature Reserve, has hosted Lady the Osprey for 24 years. During that time she’s laid 71 eggs and hatched 50 chicks. Full story here.
An eight-week old sea eagle chick has been rescued after she fell from her nest on the Isle of Mull. The youngster, a recent star of the BBC’s Springwatch programme, has been watched by a global audience on a live web camera. She disappeared from view at the weekend and concerned webcam viewers raised the alarm. Tree-climbers from the Forestry Commission went to investigate and found the chick, alive and well, underneath the nest tree. After a health check, she was returned to her nest. Story here.
Police in Fife are investigating the discovery of a poisoned buzzard that was found in woods to the north of Ballingry in April. Toxicology results have shown it was poisoned by a banned pesticide. News report here.Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse said he was “hugely angered” (see here). The SRSG is exasperated that these criminal acts continue with little sign that they will stop any time soon.