26th November 2017

Wildlife and Countryside Link have over the weekend issued a report "Wildlife Crime - The case for recording". The Bat Conservation Trust have contributed information to inform the report and fully support its recommendations.

The report sets out a case for the effective recording of wildlife crime identifying that;

  • Unlike in Scotland, most wildlife crimes in England and Wales are not centrally recorded. Without a reliable method of assessing levels of wildlife crimes, how can national priorities be set appropriately, police forces be held accountable, or resources allocated effectively?
  • BCT report about 150 allegations of bat crime to the Police annually. Research illustrates that there were more than 4,000 incidents of wildlife crime - involving four of the Government's priority wildlife crime areas - between 2005 and 2010. Yet this data is not collated through police forces and the Home Office.
  • Without data collection by a number of Non-Governmental Organisations, there would be no clear understanding of the level of these crimes.

A complete press release can be found at https://www.wcl.org.uk/wildlife-crime.asp and the full report can be found at https://www.wcl.org.uk/wildlife-crimes-going-unpunished-without-proper-reporting.asp

Related Links

Release of the latest Bat Crime Annual Report

http://www.bats.org.uk/news.php/382/release_of_the_latest_bat_crime_annual_report_

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