22,000 Scots call for an end to the killing

22,000 Scots call for an end to the killing

Petition against the illegal killing of birds of prey lands at Holyrood

A giant peregrine falcon landed in Holyrood this lunchtime in support of an RSPB Scotland campaign, aimed at stopping the illegal killing of birds of prey.

Around 70 supporters came together to form the 40ft wide peregrine mosaic, as a petition backed by nearly 22,000 pledges from the Scottish public was handed to the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee.

Frank McAveety MSP, Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee, accepted the document, in the name of the RSPB Scotland Director Stuart Housden.

The petition urges Scottish Ministers to increase their efforts to stop the illegal killing of birds of prey such as the peregrine falcon, the iconic golden eagle and the majestic white tailed sea eagle.

Stuart Housden said: “We are delighted that the public petitions committee has agreed to consider our petition. This is clearly an issue that thousands of people want to see addressed. I think these magnificent birds, particularly the eagles, hold a special place in the heart of the Scottish public. We now hope that Ministers take necessary action to ensure population numbers return to their former glory.”

In the past decade, prior to 2009, around 300 birds of prey including both species of eagle, buzzards and owls were confirmed as illegally poisoned in Scotland, a further 100 were the victims of trapping or shooting.

RSPB Scotland is asking the Scottish Government to increase resources for police and Procurator Fiscals allocated to the investigation and prosecution of wildlife crime, to increase financial support for raptor monitoring schemes, to recognise the economic benefits birds of prey bring to Scotland, and to offer a clear commitment that the full legal protection afforded to birds of prey will remain.