Magnus Linklater today writes another anti-raptor article in The Times, which excuses the illegal killing of birds of prey. He has written many such pieces before. Has Mr Linklater himself any personal connection with grouse moors we wonder? Is there any interest that he should be declaring? The RSPB believes that illegal shooting, poisoning and trapping of birds of prey is rife in the UK uplands. We are told by grouse moor interests that it is only a small minority of moors where such illegal activity occurs but there are many black holes in the distributions of birds of prey - places from where they are inexplicably absent. The RSPB has put the focus on one of these areas - in The Peak District. A large part of the Peak District - our most popular national park - has been all but emptied of birds of prey following a catalogue of incidents in which persecution is suspected. By 2006, goshawks and peregrines were extinct as breeding species in much of the park. In the previous ten years, goshawk numbers had plummeted while elsewhere this noble but elusive bird was beginning to do quite well. Peregrines have been shot and ravens poisoned; goshawk chicks have disappeared from nests and adult birds have vanished altogether. It is time more was done to protect these hounded birds, in the Peaks, the North York Moors and in Scotland where persecution is also rife.
Click here for The Times piece
and here for the RSPB's Peak Malpractice report