Trust calls for 'wildlife crime unit' after mass buzzard poisoning in Cork
Conservationists have called for tough new laws and the creation of a wildlife crime unit following the mass poisoning of 22 buzzards, a protected bird species, in West Cork.
The incident around Timoleague, which has been linked to the banned root crop pesticide carbofuran, is believed to be one of the single largest poisonings targeting birds of prey in Ireland.
It has been condemned by Heritage Minister Josepha Madigan as a "callous and criminal incident".
"While the investigation is ongoing, the National Parks and Wildlife Service -NPWS- is confident that this was a deliberate targeting of this flock of buzzards and was not related to any agricultural practices in the area," she said.
Gardaí have been informed and local NPWS field staff are continuing to monitor the area in an effort to determine the source of this criminal offence, she added.
"NPWS has pursued successful prosecutions relation to this banned poison in the past."
However, the Golden Eagle Trust said securing enough evidence to bring a case to court is difficult in such wildlife cases and a new approach is needed.
The mass poisoning was brought to the attention of the NPWS by a concerned landowner in Timoleague, leading to the discovery of 22 dead buzzards on adjacent lands.
Toxicology confirmed the birds had ingested carbofuran. The trust said despite being banned, the substance is still being used to deliberately kill birds of prey across Ireland.
Trust spokesman Lorcán O'Toole said the landowner who raised the alarm in this case was unaware that a third party was leaving the poison out nearby, and they were shocked at the scale of this incident.
"This is the biggest illegal act against birds of prey in Ireland over the last two decades," he said.
"The continued wilful persecution of birds of prey is decreasing the population of peregrines, hen harriers, buzzards and the reintroduced native populations of eagles and kites in some parts of Ireland.
It can be very difficult to find the evidence that could link an individual with an act of poisoning and thereby present sufficient evidence before a judge in order to secure a successful prosecution.
The trust has now called for new laws to make it illegal to be in possession of carbofuran and several other lethal substances, the agricultural uses of which have been banned and phased out.
It has also called on the Department of Culture to consider establishing a wildlife crime unit within the NPWS which could provide specialised advice and expertise in responding to reported wildlife crime incidents.
Apart from the wildlife crime itself, Mr O'Toole said such poisoning incidents also pose a risk to the public, with family groups, dog walkers, and landowners at potential risk of encountering poisoned meat baits.
Buzzards became extinct in Ireland in the late 19th century but re-established themselves in Northern Ireland in the 1930s and have steadily colonised many counties in Ireland over the years.
