P-05-852, Introduce a Licence to manage land for game bird shooting in an attempt to end raptor persecution, Correspondence – Petitioner to Committee, 03.06.19

There are clear challenges involved with detecting an investigating raptor persecution, many incidents, such as the detection of poisonings rely very much upon someone stumbling across the victim and as a result, it's possible that many incidents may be undetected.

The fact that only 2 of the 6 poisonings on or near land managed for shooting resulted in further investigations clearly demonstrates the challenges involved in gathering enough evidence to investigate further, the challenges faced in gathering enough evidence to bring about a prosecution (successful or not) must be even greater.

Unfortunately, I don't hold out much hope that the Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group will be successful in tackling raptor persecution. I hold this view a result of a boycott of the groups meeting on the 16 Jan 2019 by 4 of the groups “pro-shooting” members and the subsequent resignation of one of the groups “pro-shooting” organisations from the delivery group as a result of additional “conservation/ anti-shooting” organisations being invited to the meeting. This boycott could be interpreted as a sign that the pro-shooting organisations have little interest in working with the Delivery group to end raptor persecution which is why I feel that alternatives such as a licensing scheme should be seriously considered.