The Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime Northern Ireland (PAW NI) brings together statutory agencies, non-statutory agencies and interested parties with the common goal of combating wildlife crime through publicity, education and campaigning.
PAW NI partners include key government Departments, PSNI and other enforcement agencies, environmental organisations, animal welfare groups and country sports associations.
More about PAW NI and the partners can be found here
Leaflets on how to recognise Wildlife Crime can be found here
All birds of prey, also termed ‘raptors’, are protected by law in Northern Ireland which makes it illegal to trap or kill these birds, or disturb them during the breeding season. It is also illegal to collect their eggs. Many raptor species are declining, recovering from historic declines, or are vulnerable to various ongoing threats and pressures, and protective laws are essential to conserve these species. However, many birds of prey are intentionally illegally killed each year due to conflict with other interests, or misconceptions about their behaviour.
Trends in confirmed persecution incidents are analysed by the PAW NI Raptor Subgroup (see published reports HERE) and provide a valuable resource for PSNI, DAERA and other investigating bodies. Several key locations have been identified as Raptor Crime Hotspots and targeted efforts are being made in these areas to tackle this wildlife crime.
During 2017-2018 the Raptor Subgroup of PAW NI was successful in a funding bid to the Department of Justice’s Assets Recovery Community Scheme (ARCS). This fund is designed to support initiatives which benefit victims, communities and the environment and implement project which prevent crime or reduce the fear of crime. And so ‘Hawk-Eyes’ was born.
You can read more about the Hawk-Eyes project in the blogs on this site. Please Watch Out For Wildlife Crime and report suspicious activity to PSNI on ‘101’.
For further information on the law and how to recognise Raptor Persecution, and other wildlife crimes, please see the following resources;
Wildlife Law and You
PAW NI Watch Out For Wildlife Crime
PAW NI Raptor Persecution
Hawk-Eyes 