It’s been four months since 22 birds of prey (sixteen red kites and six buzzards) were killed in one of the worst poisoning incidents uncovered in Scotland in recent years.
Here’s the latest information about how the police investigation is progressing:
Great, eh?
The Untouchables get away with it. Again.
Tune in next month for more of the same. Probably.
For previous posts on the Ross-shire Massacre click here.
Raptor Persecution UK 
The impunity with which grouse shooting acts parallels the Saville scandal, the Westminster paedophile scandal, the expenses scandal and the bankers. The establishment in Britain enjoys an immunity which would be an affront in any other European democracy. British democracy and the British media (witness the BBC this week) are too feeble to tackle the problem. That was the basis for Saville’s effrontery and is the basis for the effrontery of shooting in denying the obvious scale of criminality on grouse moors. Raptor persecution needs to be seen in that context or it will remain the isolated preoccupation of a few bird enthusiasts. Both Mark Avery and Ethical Consumer are, in a small way, widening the attack on grouse shooting in England and Land Reform in Scotland provides another context in which to challenge the fiscal and political advantages of the landed establishment. Greater awareness of this context, which is not apparant in comments to this Blog, might make the raptor case more effective.
BSA, how you can even compare a dead bird to someone raping a child is beyond me, both are wrong I agree, but I would suggest that the majority of the population would consider jimmy saville to be far worse than any gamekeeper
I did not compare the crimes. The point was that there is an inability, or an unwillingness, to take seriously abuses by those with power. That failure, which is visible across numerous scandals, is what allows the brazen denials by the grouse interest .
Which key do we need to press to get the invisible ink to transform into a full dossier of police activity regarding this disgraceful wildlife mass murder, what, you mean to say that this is all they’ve got to say for themselves after 4 months, ‘ JUST BLANK’. Perhaps they would have put more effort into apprehending the culprit/s if they had thrown the poisoned bait out of a speeding car window, at least then they could have done them for littering and exceeding the speed limit.
Sadly that is probably the only way to bring a prosecution. Other than with possession, proof is so difficult to get.
Then a conditional discharge for possession isn’t going to get keepers shaking in their boots, well perhaps with laughter.
Is there no appeal against an inappropriate sentence as there is in England?
It is staggering, isn’t it, that someone can use a banned substance to poison 22 raptors in one incident and not be brought to justice.
There is, however, more to this case than has been publicised.
Meanwhile, we’re taking a close look at the legal definition of perverting the course of justice.
please could the creator of the site contact me directly by email? Thank you
[Ed: Hi Sally, you can email us directly at: raptor.persecution.scotland@hotmail.co.uk
Look forward to hearing from you.]
slightly off topic here ed but if you get chance to read this you wont believe some of the blatent rubbish. it could have been co written by Walter Mitty and Billy Liar.
Just read some of the PACEC report, its an independent report paid for totally by Shooting organisations, oh and by Scottish National Heritage! Its basically an advertisement for shooting. out of the 600,000 people who shoot less than 3% contributed to this report, it makes you wonder how these people were selected.
just put it in google
Did you know that the shooting industry contributes 2.4 billion to the UK economy annually.
There are 600,000 people who shoot, 480,000 of these shoot live game, just over half of these shoot mainly pigeon and Rabbit and a similar amount shoot driven game, given these figures it works out that on average each person who shoots spends in excess of £4,000 pounds annually? Now I know pigeon shooting lads who resent spending more than a £100 quid a season on cartridges which is basically there only expense, I also know that huge subsidies are paid out to upland estates and the majority claim to be losing money, I know I’m sceptical but it does seem funny when you pay someone to do an “independent” report how you always seem to come out smelling of roses. A couple of quotes also made me laugh.
Alaisdair Balmain in his editorial notes, the long awaited report has finally come out, shooting is worth 2.4 billion to the UK economy but lets not talk about money? Strange I thought you’d be shouting that from the rafters
British Shooting Sports Council chairman Sir Peter Luff MP “It is a document that should be read with an open mind “ your telling me!
The same old rubbish about people who shoot do more work for conservation and care for more land is an absolute joke, lads who shoot pigeon might have access to thousands of acres of land but they don’t do anything to the land to protect or enhance it for wildlife they just turn up and shoot pigeons
Thanks for alerting me to the report, Merlin. I’ll have a read at it during the next few days, but I have to comment on the “Main Findings” section.
Finding 4 states that “Shooting is involved in the management of two-thirds of the rural land area.” That may well be the case, so we have to visit another recently published report, the State of Nature, which was produced by a collaboration of 25 of the UK’s true conservation and research organisations. Page 3 of this report has a contribution from David Attenborough, one of the world’s most respected environmental experts, in which he states “This important document provides a stark warning: far more species are declining than increasing in the UK, including many of our most treasured species. Alarmingly, a large number of them are threatened with extinction. The causes are varied, but most are ultimately due to the way we are using our land and seas and their natural resources, often with little regard for the wildlife with which we share them. The impact on plants and animals has been profound.”
So, if the shooting industry is responsible for the management of two-thirds of the rural land area, then perhaps their efforts at conservation are nowhere near good enough. We’re forever being told of their great conservation work, but it now appears we have a real reason as to why the UK’s wildlife is in such a terrible state.
I understand BSA’s motives. There is no comparison between child abuse and the crimes we discuss but they all need to be stopped. They are abhorrent.
The level of corruption and criminality amongst the upper crust and their apparent immunity from being brought to account is sickening.
The blatant lies told by the estates and associated organisations about what they are doing, to me is the same as any criminal denying responsibility even when caught red handed. They all do it from shop lifters to lords of the estates.
SCUM is the only description. And now they are to be paid even more subsidies for their destruction.