Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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Government sets out wildlife crime priorities
Birds of prey and a near-extinct shellfish are among the animals earmarked top priorities in a strengthened fight against wildlife crime in the coming year.
The freshwater pearl mussel, once widespread throughout Europe, is now extremely rare and outside of Britain and Ireland is found in less than 50 rivers worldwide, while and birds of prey such as hen harriers are under threat from nest destruction and deliberate killing.
Wildlife Minister Huw Irranca-Davies today set out the government's wildlife crime priorities for 2009-2010, including poaching, crimes against bats and the illegal trade in endangered species, and urged people to help combat the criminals.
Police and customs officers will work with the National Wildlife Crime Unit, conservationists, countryside groups, wildlife traders and owners to focus on the new priorities, which are based on the numbers of crimes or the effect crime is having on the future of a species.
Action will include stronger, coordinated responses to wildlife crime, specialist training for enforcement officers, raising awareness of wildlife crime and encouraging people to report crimes, and intelligence to identify, detect and prosecute the criminals involved.
Huw Irranca-Davies said:
"People and communities can
help us in the fight against wildlife crime. Nobody can afford to
sit on the fence and let these crimes go unpunished.
"Wildlife crime matters, it has an impact on our environment and on the ecosystems, habitats and wildlife that supports our very existence. Information and intelligence are going to be key in this fight, we need to tackle these crimes through effective partnerships."
Detective Inspector Brian Stuart, Head of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, said:
"The UK police and customs officers are committed to tackling wildlife crime, and these priorities will ensure they have the right training and intelligence to help prevent and prosecute these serious crimes.
"Only through the co-operation of everyone interested in preventing wildlife crime have we been able to identify the best ways to tackle these crimes that affect our shores."
Speaking at the annual Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) conference in London today, Mr Irranca-Davies also announced that Britain is taking over the chairmanship of the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT) this summer, building on its establishment by the USA.
The Minister also presented the Conventions and Policy Section at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew with the PAW partner of the year award for their work on tackling wildlife crime.
For more information go to http://www.defra.gov.uk/paw/
Notes to Editors
The Partnership for Action Against Wildlife
Crime (PAW) is a multi-agency body comprising representatives of
the organisations involved in wildlife law enforcement in the UK.
It provides opportunities for statutory and non-Government
organisations to work together to combat wildlife crime. Its main
objective is to promote the enforcement of wildlife conservation
legislation, particularly through supporting the networks of
Police Wildlife Crime Officers and officers from HM Revenue and
Customs and UK Border Agency.
CAWT's aim is to raise the profile of wildlife trafficking with governments and law enforcement authorities across the world. It is currently made up of the UK, USA, Australia, India, Canada, and Chile, as well as twelve global business and conservation partners, including the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network (TRAFFIC), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Further details can be found at http://www.cawtglobal.org/cawt/public/
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has been a member of PAW since its launch in 1995, and their Conventions and Policy Section has played an important role in assisting enforcement agencies in regulating the illegal trade of wildlife by providing expert advice and identification skills, and in training and advising police and customs officers on plants and their derivatives in trade. . RBG Kew acted as an expert witness in a court case of a trader involved in the smuggling of some of the world's rarest orchids. This resulted in a four month custodial sentence, and in July 2007 a further hearing ordered the offender to pay £110,000 (the proceeds of his trade) and £15,000 in costs (including research).
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