RSPB Bird Crime Report 2023.
Last month, the RSPB published its annual report (2023), and once again, it makes for sad reading. My opinion on it follows, along with a raft of other pieces published since its release (I’ll leave the Channel 4 piece for a separate blog). I must remind myself that many of you reading this might be new to the world of bird crime, and in particular, raptor persecution—there’s a lot of history, but this report will give you a good introduction.
So, what changed in 2023? Well, not a lot really; the killing continues. I have to say the one good thing about the 2023 report is how it synthesises into 21 pages the continuous onslaught of birds of prey in the UK. Well done, RSPB, and well done to the brilliant investigations team and the multiple partners and other agencies who work hard to highlight the illegal activities of many.
I say many because, despite what some organisations might try to have you believe, these are just a few bad apples - ha. The scale of what is shown in this, and past reports alone, shows that this can’t be just a few ‘bad apples’, and I find it quite insulting to not call even a few bad apples what they are: criminals!
Here what some of the other orgs have to say about the report.
Countryside Alliance - HERE.
BASC - HERE.
Moorland Association - HERE & HERE.
I have been lucky to spend over 15 years monitoring raptors across the UK, I’ve also been brought up in the countryside as a farmers son, I know people who farm and who shoot, and I’ve met many more outside of farming. I don’t like shooting and I honestly don’t get it, why would anyones idea of a day out for fun be to shoot a load of animals? I get that many will say its more nuanced than that but its not really is it. I’ve also met several gamekeepers who have been more than happy to tell me that the only good raptor is a dead raptor. Humans sure have a funny way of how they perceive animals and in my experience those in shooting warp their narratives to suit their agenda.
Am I worried? I’m worried about the individual birds of prey that still must contend with surviving the natural day-to-day trials of life that also includes the possibility of being shot, poisoned or trapped trying to survive. The pressure is on through, and I’ve seen a lot of change in recent years, the shooting industry is not changing fast enough, and the noose is tightening. The wider world is waking up to these appalling actions, and if you’re still not sure look at the next blog post.
