Wildlife & Countryside Link (WCL) is an umbrella group of 57 conservation organisations working in England and Wales. Their third annual Wildlife Crime Report for 2019 has little of comfort in it for those concerned with the current state and future of our natural heritage. The full report is available here and the reader comes away with the clear impression that the ‘sound and fury’ statements and promises of action emanating from the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have had little practical effect and are beginning to wear thin.

The Republic of Ireland have similar problems with hare coursing, badger baiting and raptor persecution and are planning to set up a National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). There is however one crucial difference between the proposed Irish unit and the UK unit of the same name. In Ireland wildlife crimes are investigated by State Rangers and not the Garda Siochana (Irish police) and their NWCU will also be a non police organisation.

Once actions taken in fisheries cases by the Environment Agency bailiffs and badger baiting prosecutions by the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals are removed the results obtained by the police do not look good at all. Perhaps it is time to take a leaf from Ireland’s book.