Dramatic rise in poaching and other wildlife crimes

POACHING and hare coursing have increased "dramatically" in the past year, according to figures released yesterday.

The rise prompted a new crackdown on wildlife crime, with a poster launch and public awareness campaign to highlight the scale of the problem in Scotland.

Police figures showed that hare coursing incidents – in which dogs chase down hares, a practice made illegal in 2002 – increased from 67 in 2008 to 148 last year.

Deer poaching incidents jumped from 71 to 105 while the number of fish poaching incidents grew from 43 to 75.

Community safety minister Fergus Ewing backed the new campaign

: "These crimes involve serious, organised criminals and have a significant economic impact on rural communities."

Douglas McAdam, chief executive of the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association, said: "

What we are stressing today is that there has been an unprecedented hike in illegal activity and we need more action now."