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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SG6" data-source="post: 1252055" data-attributes="member: 68155">As Bartolli says it has been illegal for years to poison, shoot or disturb birds of prey. Yet it is going on as strong as ever.Being an utter pessimist why would ignoring the illegality of it stop when an online petition is signed?A lot appears to come down to grouse moors and shoots that are organised. I seem to recall one gamekeeper being tried some years ago and I suspect the person got a token fine, the moor owners would not be penalised and as to be a gamekeeper is not licenced they couldn't be stopped from working in the profession and the person returned to work the next day.Education should be the way forward but after these years it doesn't seem to have had any effect. That would leave heavy penalties and these would have to be against the grouse moor owners. If they were fined say £200,000 if a bird of prey was killed on their moors or by one of their employees I suspect that it would decrease quite fast. However the token fines handed out are no deterrent.</blockquote>