NGO responds to the 2021 RSPB Birdcrime report

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The RSPB’s Birdcrime report for 2021 was published on Tuesday 15 November; a report which makes sweeping statements against gamekeepers and the shooting community which do not equate with the evidence provided by the RSPB. 

As the lead body for gamekeeping, the NGO has a responsibility to protect the reputation of the gamekeeping sector. We have a no-tolerance approach to any kind of wildlife crime which of course includes the killing of any bird of prey. We expect our members to adhere to the Code of Good Shooting Practice and this is regularly reinforced to our members.  

The NGO work closely with the National Wildlife Crime Unit and are signatories of the Zero-tolerance: Raptor Persecution Statement, alongside four other rural organisations. This statement highlights our belief that the small minority of individuals who do carry out wildlife crimes are tarnishing our reputation. These people have no place in a sector that is otherwise overwhelmingly positive.  

The vast majority of gamekeepers conduct their important work within the law and regard those who break the law as taking us in a backwards direction.  

Gamekeepers are overwhelmingly a force for good in the countryside, managing valuable habitats and assisting a wealth of wildlife. Many keepers around the country work hard on conservation projects which directly involve the conservation of birds of prey in particular the hen harrier, which is seeing their highest population numbers in over a century. Other birds of prey, including buzzards, red kites, white-tailed eagles and peregrines are booming in numbers while the likes of the merlin are also thriving on moorland managed by gamekeepers.