Green MSP quizzes police about unreported wildlife crimes
Discrepancies between the numbers of crimes against birds of prey reported by the RSPB and Police Scotland must urgently be explained says a Green MSP.
Mark Ruskell MSP quizzed members of the Wildlife and Environmental Crime Unit today, about why five raptor related crimes were audited by the bird charity but not police, at a meeting of Holyrood’s Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee,
Environment spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, Mark Ruskell MSP said:
"If the police want to build public confidence in their ability to detect, prevent and prosecute on wildlife crime, then all of the incidents must be disclosed in the reports. I’m pleased that representatives from Police Scotland have agreed to look into this issue because the full extent of wildlife crime clearly remains hidden in the hills.
“When the science on population levels tell us there are big gaps in bird of prey numbers in some areas it should be a warning call to the Police that illegal persecution is taking place, they need to act on the science."