Skewed view of wildlife crime
It is very difficult for police to obtain the evidence of wildlife crime. Officers cannot be expected to scour every moor and mountain looking for the remains of persecuted birds and animals. Only those reported by the public are investigated, and these are discovered by chance. That there were 92 such investigations for birds alone in 2002 is itself a shocking statistic, but it is, by straightforward extrapolation, merely an indication of a much larger problem.
Mr Burnett claims that, of the 92, "only 19 were confirmed poisonings". This is incorrect. The report clearly states that 24 cases were caused by pesticide poisoning. In a further 30 cases a different cause of death was identified - and many of these were criminal cases.
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Hide AdMr Burnett recently admitted to the Scottish Parliament that 20 per cent of his members refuse to co-operate with police investigations of wildlife crime. The SGA has no right to lecture RSPB Scotland or anybody else on this subject.
DUNCAN ORR-EWING
RSPB Scotland
Ravelston Terrace
Edinburgh