Three Reforms to Stop the Criminal Killing of Birds of Prey
Mary Creagh CBE MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Nature
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Despite more than 70 years of full legal protection, raptor persecution remains a serious and persistent wildlife crime. The Yorkshire Dales is one of the UK’s worst-affected areas, with 152 confirmed incidents of persecution or suspicious disappearances recorded between 2009 and 2023.
To tackle these wildlife crimes effectively, we are asking people and supporting organisations to join our Petition to Government seeking better national recording of wildlife crime, the introduction of sentencing guidelines and the strengthening of penalties for offenders, and more effective regulation for those industries where the crimes often happen.
Please support our call for urgent legal reforms to stop this persecution and add your name to our Petition now.
Petition by
Sponsored by
To:
Mary Creagh CBE MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Nature
From:
[Your Name]
Dear Mary Creagh CBE MP,
We, the undersigned individuals, charities, and organisations, support Friends of the Dales Eyes on the Skies campaign and urge the Government to take decisive action to address the continued criminal killing of birds of prey.
Despite more than 70 years of full legal protection, raptor persecution remains a serious and persistent wildlife crime. The Yorkshire Dales is one of the UK’s worst-affected areas, with 152 confirmed incidents of persecution or suspicious disappearances recorded between 2009 and 2023.
To tackle these wildlife crimes effectively, we ask you to prioritise three essential reforms:
1. Sentencing guidelines and the strengthening of penalties for offenders
The persistence of raptor persecution demonstrates that current sanctions do not act as a credible deterrent. Introducing sentencing guidelines with meaningful fines and ensuring the appropriate use of custodial sentences would send a clear message that the criminal killing of birds of prey is being treated as a serious crime.
2. Establish a National Wildlife Crime Database
Wildlife crime is not currently a notifiable offence. As a result, serious incidents of wildlife crime are recorded with the same priority as minor offences. Making wildlife crime notifiable would allow the creation of a national database, enabling police forces, land managers, and conservation bodies to identify trends, focus resources and coordinate action across regions.
3. Regulate and license the gamebird-shooting industry
Analysis by the RSPB shows that most confirmed incidents of raptor persecution, and the majority of related convictions, are linked to land managed for gamebird shooting. In the Yorkshire Dales, where this is a dominant land use, robust regulation and a licensing system are necessary to ensure accountability and prevent further offences.
Our request to you Minister, is that these reforms are urgently needed, and would provide powerful, practical tools to reduce raptor persecution, protect biodiversity, and uphold the law across our countryside.
We therefore urge you to take forward measures to create a wildlife crime database, strengthen penalties, and introduce effective regulation of the gamebird-shooting industry.
Yours sincerely,
On behalf of Friends of the Dales, its staff, trustees, members and supporters,
Jonathan Riley
Chair of Trustees