It has just been reported by the RSPB in conjunction with the Sussex police that a young Osprey died during an operation after being shot.
Police and the RSPB have offered a £1,000 reward to help catch the person who shot an Osprey in East Sussex. Sussex Police said the young bird, which had been tagged this year in Sweden, was found at Holmes Hill, Golden Cross, with a gunshot wound to its wing.
Disappointingly during treatment by a veterinary specialist the young osprey died during an operation to save its life..
Mark Thomas, of the RSPB said: “The shooting and subsequent death of this bird is sickening.”
It had only been alive for a few months and had made an amazing North Sea crossing before being shot”
He added: “Not only is it an amazing species but the fact it was born in Sweden and was passing through the UK on migration makes the killing a national disgrace”.
Chief Inspector Martin Sims, of Sussex Police, said: “The protection offered to birds of prey by the law is clear and the police will enforce that legislation.
“Ospreys are fully protected at all times across Europe and anyone convicted of this offence in the UK could face up to six months in prison and or a fine of £5000.
“Together with the RSPB we are jointly offering a reward of £1,000 for information leading to a conviction and we urge anyone with information to come forward as soon as possible, in the strictest of confidence.
The young osprey was one of three chicks that hatched in the Färnebofjärden National Park, in Sweden in June. Lina Jansson, of The Swedish Bird Ringing Centre, said: “We are saddened to hear about the death of the Osprey chick, particularly so because it had only been alive for a few months and had made an amazing North Sea crossing before being shot”.
Sussex Police said there were 12 reported offences, such as shooting, trapping and poisoning, against birds of prey in Sussex in 2009
I wonder why there was no reward offered for the Osprey shot in Caithness, Scotland a few weeks ago ???
nirofo.
The protection offered to birds of prey by current wildlife legislation is clearly lacking as the police are unable and do not have the resources to enforce that legislation. Wildlife Crime in Lancashire’s Forest of Bowland is rife and look what happened in East Lancashire this year; three nestling peregrines shot to death and four chicks taken from a second nest with complete clutches of eggs removed from two more nesting sites. So far no one has been brought to justice for these unacceptable crimes. When will the RSPB and Natural England begin to get their acts together placing the interests of birds first? Working together with experienced field workers on the ground is very important to achieving this goal rather than alienating them.
At last someone is saying what is really happening on these estates, the RSPB and Natural England/Scottish Natural Heritage are not really interested in what happens to the Raptors that are not on their protected sites, and that means most of them in the UK, especially if there’s no publicity or brownie points in it for them.
Yes, I know many of the dedicated field workers do want this uncontrolled persecution to stop and would love to get some backing for their efforts, unfortunately it’s their employers who are the problem, some of whom are not in it for the birds at all! They don’t want to rock the boat, bear in mind that many of the estates are owned or managed by seriously influntial people, status quo is fine for them. While there’s birds are in trouble people will keep on giving donations which in turn enables them to set up high publicity bird reserves with expensive goodie shops and pander to re-introduction schemes where the newly introduced Raptors are released for the gamekeepers to murder in cold blood, just like a Pheasant shoot really.
nirofo.