Following a number of cases of wildlife persecution in Scotland, which has seen rare birds of prey targeted in particular, Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse unveiled new measures intended to curb wildlife crime on Monday.

Although 2012 saw a reduction in poisoning cases, the issue remains deadly serious. Late last month, a gamekeeper from Dumfries and Galloway was fined £4,450 for poisoning the buzzard and possessing illegal pesticides after pleading guilty to a total of four breaches of Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

In April it was reported, with the shooting of a golden eagle from one of only two breeding pairs in Southern Scotland, that the country's golden eagle population is effectively being kept from recovering by illegal persecution.  

Environment Minister Mr Wheelhouse, who is also Chair of the PAW initiative on wildlife crime, said, "I am determined to stop illegal persecution of raptors that continues to blight the Scottish countryside. These outdated, barbaric and criminal practices put at risk some of our most magnificent wildlife and have horrified a wide range of people across Scotland."

He acknowledged that tackling the issue will prove difficult, "Wildlife crime, and raptor persecution in particular, often takes place in remote locations or in the dark of night. By its very surreptitious nature, the likelihood of being seen by a member of the public who can report the matter to the authorities is small. Though through these new measures I am keen to maximise the opportunity for offences to be detected and offenders to be tracked down."

The Minister's measures include:

• Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) have been asked to examine how and when they could restrict the use of General Licences to trap and shoot wild birds on land where they have good reason to believe crimes have taken place.
• A group will be established to review how wildlife crime is treated within the legal system including whether the penalties available are adequate.
• The Lord Advocate has instructed prosecutors in the Wildlife and Environmental Crime Unit to work with Police Scotland to ensure that law enforcement utilises all investigative tools at their disposal in the fight against wildlife crime.