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Rare Birds In Danger From Egg Looters (1 Viewer)

P

peter hayes

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This is from today's Western Morning News, the morning newspaper for the West Country. I thought it might be of interest.

Peter



RARE BIRDS IN DANGER FROM EGG LOOTERS


More of Britain's rarest bird species which nest in the Westcountry could soon be wiped out if illegal egg collectors are not stopped in their tracks. The grim warning came yesterday from the police and wildlife groups in the wake of a clutch of thefts which have already led to the extinction of several populations in the region.

Now an impassioned plea has been made to the public to help stem the tide and put egg-snatching gangs behind bars.

Officers claim the region is one of the richest in rare species in the country, the area being equalled only by Merseyside, Coventry and the North East.

But with more "obsessed looters" travelling to the area to satisfy their mania for collecting eggs, police claim that thriving populations have already been wiped out.

Roy Adams, wildlife liaison officer for Devon and Cornwall Police, said laws came into force two years ago to clamp down on anyone stealing or collecting rare birds' eggs.

"Easter time is particularly busy because birds lay their eggs," he said.

"Some collectors go manic. They are not interested in any financial benefits, they're simply collecting eggs.

"They operate in gangs and we have heard that some of them even dream of stealing the eggs.

"They plan months in advance and usually have a partner to help them with information. Stealing the eggs is the culmination of their illegal activities - a trophy, if you wish."

He said that 20 years ago Chudleigh Knighton Heath in South Devon was home to a watch of nightingales, which had now disappeared completely.

Also a sedge of bitterns once seen in the area never returned to their nest after it was looted in 1997.

"Other offenders stole rare honey buzzard eggs from Haldon Forest or looted cirl bunting and Cettis warbler nests in Slapton Ley," he said.

"Police forces nationwide are involved in an operation codenamed Easter which targets all collectors interested in Schedule One species - Britain's rarest birds.

"We rely on the public to give us information on anyone trying to snatch eggs. Torbay is a particularly vulnerable area, with populations of Cettis warblers or cirl buntings.

"We need to tell everybody that it is an arrestable offence to steal or collect eggs. The offence carries a jail sentence of from three to six months."

PC Adams revealed that the police net was closing in on the gangs, who were thought to be switching to the Continent because of recent police successes.

RSPB investigations officer Guy Shorrock said it was vital to keep in touch with the public.

"I don't care if I get information from the worried neighbour or from the disgruntled girlfriend. Whoever has anything on these obsessed looters are welcome to get in touch with us," he said.

"Egg snatchers are putting our wildlife at risk and anything to stop them will be of great help."

Earlier this month a special 24-hour guard was put in place in Cornwall to protect a pair of choughs from egg thieves. The bird, the emblem of Cornwall, had not bred in Cornwall for 50 years until last summer when three chicks were born.

Since the Countryside and Rights of Way Act came into force in 2000, six egg snatchers have been sentenced - the latest being Anthony Higham, who admitted stealing 850 eggs, including some Cettis warbler eggs from Slapton Ley in Devon.

The divorced father of two from Runcorn, Cheshire, filmed himself carrying out some of his raids.

After Higham's sentencing at Northwich Magistrates Court in Cheshire on Thursday, Clare Collier, reserve officer at Slapton Ley, said: "We've got such a good population of Cettis warblers in Devon. We can hear plenty and that makes us a target for these egg collectors to come and steal their eggs."

The court heard how police and RSPB officers who raided Higham's home had found birds' skulls and implements to blow the contents out of stolen eggs.

Higham, who had earlier pleaded guilty to 13 offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, was sentenced to four months in jail. At the sentencing hearing, Anthony Smith, prosecuting, said: "This is one of the most important cases of egg collecting to come before the courts in this country."
 
Total *****, pardon my French! I reall hate these people. It hurts even more that they are travelling down to my county to do it too. Any county is bad enough really.

It will have a serious knock on effect if we let them move to France as the northward spread of birds could be checked by this.
 
I agree Andrew. When you consider that these people change the course of nature, it is astonishing they do not get longer sentences. A friend of mine is about to become a Magistrate here is Devon. What advice have BF members got for him if he gets one of these characters up before him?
 
Yes Robin, he did cut a swathe through these parts. We can't string people up any more, but what we can do - or at least, what we can expect - is for magistrates to impose maximum sentences as far as the law allows. Sadly, they rarely do because they don't seem to take offences like this seriously.
 
Bring back REAL prisons. Rat infested flooding cells like the Tower of London! Prisons are like holiday camps and yet they still complain about it! A week in a Victorian prison would curb Higham and his like!
 
That's a great idea you made me think of, tag all convicted eggers from March to August to prevent them taking eggs?
 
Tell them for every egg they take will will take a similar shaped organ off his body. Problem is that will only work for the first two eggs!
 
I think Andrew's last suggestion would be just fine and dandy as far as I am concerned. I had no idea that this went on and with such cunning no less. The higher the penalty would mean nothing to these morons. It would only stir them on more I'm afraid.
 
In Germany, theft of Peregrine Falcon eggs is a real worry. After they had almost been wiped out during the 60's due to use of pesticides such as DDT, the few remaining pairs only managed to make an astonishing come-back due to 24-hoour watches being put on the nests (something I personally participated in). I understand that these days the nests are even protected with motion-sensors and night-vision cameras. It seems that these egg can fetch astonishing sums of thousands of US$. Like in the UK, punishments meted out are not enough of a deterrent (yes, Germany also has holiday homes and calls them prisons).
 
The problem in the UK, as I mentioned earlier, is getting the courts to actually use their powers. If Magistrates sentenced people to the maximum penalty, it would act as a deterrent. At the moment, most people who steal eggs know they'll get off with just a fine and so simply carry on their lucrative trade.
 
I believe in some of the miiddle east countries theft is punished by cutting off a hand.Now theres a thought!!!
 
They need to have some kind of restraint on these convicted eggers such as reporting to the police evry day or losing the right to privacy whereby the police can search their home whenever they want!
 
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