I haven’t written much about the Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group because it has largely been a waste of space for years. There have been strong signs from the new Chair, Supt Nick Lyall, that he wanted the group to be more effective in tackling wildlife crime.
On Wednesday the group had its first meeting under the new Chair and a number of people representing shooting organisations failed to attend. Now, as I understand it the roads weren’t covered in snow and the trains were working exactly as badly as ever so I don’t think this lack of shooters can be put down to road or rail chaos.
As I understand it, BASC, Countryside Alliance, Moorland Association and National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (at least) were absent. The organisations that did attend seem to think that it all went a lot easier than usual. Funny that.
We know from Supt Lyall’s Twitter feed that he is keen to get a publicity campaign against wildlife crime going across the UK – and about time too! It couldn’t possibly be, could it, that the shooting organisations felt uncomfortable at publicising the fact that raptor persecution is rife across the uplands and that shooting interests are very often behind these crimes?
I can see that the NGO might baulk at promoting the fact that 68% of convictions for crimes against birds of prey are of gamekeepers – they’ve never been that keen to promote that mesage before. But it’s good that a police officer, interested in law enforcment, is willing to take a lead on catching more wildlife criminals.
We’ve seen this type of coordinated approach from shooting organisations before. The same bunch of organisations, more or less, walked out of the Lead Amunition Group when they spotted it wasn’t going the way they liked. And Supt Lyall had better look out for pressure being put on him or his bosses for him to ease off – although that would be difficult since he hasn’t actually done anything yet!
Therese Coffey must be thrilled that her mates in the shooting organisations are apparently boycotting a Defra group set up to stop wildlife crime emanating from … errrr … the shooting industry. They are the type of stakeholders with which Defra can work!
You may read about this story in The Times tomorrow – you read it here first!
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Good riddance to bad rubbish.
I suppose that Nick Lyall will very soon get promoted out of the way. Cheif Constable of an urban force perhaps ( to keep him well out of the way of the countryside criminals)
Although I hope he is given time to make a difference.
All the very best of luck to Nick Lyall. It does make such a difference if the chief person is determined to be more effective in these types of Groups. As you say, no doubt Ms Coffey and her shooter friends will try to make life difficult for Nick Lyall but hopefully he has enough “back bone” to stand up to them.
What …. no fake news from their spin bowlers about why they didn’t manage to attend the meeting or why they feel victimised when they deliver so much Hen Harrier conservation 😉
Which tells us everything we need to know, and that is these organizations are only on these bodies to get their own way, control the agenda, and to gain intelligence on those trying to uphold the law operate. Superintendent Nick Lyall so far seems to be doing a good job.
What are we going to do? Everyone’s favourite Batman villain “The Disliker” strikes again. Perhaps their costume is a tall, conical hat, with a big “D” on it?
Fool! Everybody knows that that is the costume of I, the Doomsayer! Do not compare me to that rank amateur, the Disliker. Or I shall rain Doom upon Gotham! Henchmen; fire up the Doom-mobile Mwahahahah.
If Nick Lyall needed confirmation of the type of people he is up against, this lot could hardly have presented him with a better example. No doubt there were other, more pressing needs which required urgent attention on that day. It remains to be seen whether they did, at least, fulfil the basic courtesy of making apologies for their collective absences. One in the eye here for Defra. Wonder what TC makes of it?
It’s really very telling isn’t it ! Or perhaps they were all otherwise engaged at A Anderson’s kitchen window watching all those Raptors !!!
It’s all very bizarre. The organisations (especially the CA) that we see at police meetings, Wildlife Crime conferences and training events, and at PAW delivery groups, are the same organisations who have representatives supporting those accused of wildlife crimes when their cases come to Court, going into consultation rooms with defence lawyers and the defendants, and issuing supportive media statements at the conclusion of each case, often critical of the police and CPS for bringing those cases to court and even launching fundraisers to pay for appeals. Those same organisations constantly campaign against NGO partners like the RSPB, RSPCA and League Against Cruel Sports who support the law enforcement agencies, doing everything they can to denigrate their staff.
Allowing organisations that support criminals to be on the inside when discussing how to combat wildlife crime is crazy. Defra and the police need to recognise this and stop pandering to them.
what chance have we when natural England are busy handing out licences to shoot buzzards, & i may add that i have wrote to them by letter expressing my annoyance & disbelief.
I wonder how long it will be before the RPPDG will be disbanded at the behest of DEFRA under pressure from the TiTs (Tossers in Tweed).