Protect birds of prey

FOLLOWING the moorland article by Ian Coghill (mail), I, too, grew up in England but spent holidays on my uncle’s farm on the West Coast of scotland, which prompted me to move and work here. One of my jobs was as secretary of the grouse Research Unit for the game & Wildlife Conservation Trust.

What mr Coghill fails to mention is the continued persecution of birds of prey, which is one major reason why Chris Packham, Wild Justice and others want stricter controls for grouse shooting.

grouse shooting does have a financial benefit for many but, unfortunately, it seems to come at the expense of other things.

Thankfully the mass slaughter of mountain hares is now illegal. mr Coghill mentions ‘legal pest control by experienced gamekeepers’ but not the illegal pest control of protected species, including birds of prey. For more than 35 years, I have seen at first hand injured birds of prey that have been poisoned, shot or trapped.

sadly, for all those birds there was not one successful prosecution. any fines handed out are paltry to millionaires, anyway.

Readers should check out Raptor Persecution UK. What they record is just the tip of the iceberg.

Estates operating within the law should have nothing to worry about if licensing were ever introduced.

But irresponsible landowners and keepers have only themselves to blame for any proposed restrictions.

CAROLINE HUNT, Newtonmore, inverness-shire.