BirdWatch Ireland welcomes the three-month suspended prison sentence handed down to an individual for the possession of two dead Buzzards. In this case the Buzzards, which were shot using the highly poisonous lead ammunition, were strung out onto posts on a farm, displayed in a cruel and callous way.
John Lusby, Raptor Conservation Officer at BirdWatch Ireland, said “This was a heinous wildlife crime where two beautiful Buzzards were shot and then hung out on posts wings outstretched. It is welcome to see the harder line being taken nationally to address wildlife crime and we thank the Minister for Heritage, Malcolm Noonan, for giving it much needed focus.
A clear strategy and sufficient resources for the new Wildlife Crime Unit and the ranger network to ensure that wildlife crime is stamped out and perpetrators are brought to justice is needed”.
