A NEW group to combat wildlife crime was launched at Stormont yesterday to put pressure
on the PSNI to bring more prosecutions against those who are cruel to animals.
The Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAAWC] is to include representatives involved in countryside issues, wildlife conservation and law enforcement in Nort
hern Ireland.
It will aim to provide opportunities for statutory and non-government organisations to work together on wildlife issues.
At yesterday's event groups such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Countryside Alliance, British Association for Shooting and Conservation and the League Against Cruel Sports put aside their differences to call for greater enforcement of wildlife legislation.
DUP South Down MLA Jim Wells, who chaired the launch, said the new group's creation was very timely.
"It was a tremendously successful meeting and I'm personally very pleased that we had such a great turnout from the voluntary and statutory sectors," he told the News Letter.
Also present at the event were 14 MLAs and two ministers designate - Arlene Foster, the Minister for the Environment and Edwin Poots, the Minister for Arts, Culture and Leisure.
And the new PSNI wildlife liaison officer Emma Meredith, whose job will include co-ordinating the joint effort against wildlife crime, attended.
Mr Wells said: "The new group is a good thing because wildlife crime has remained unreported in Northern Ireland for a long time.
"The police up until recently have had more important issues to deal with so there hasn't been the resources available to deal with the issues effectively.
"We are therefore extremely pleased that they have given the resources to support this group which is in partnership to counteract wildlife crime.
"The formation of this organisation plus the two crucial pieces of legislation coming through - the review of the 1985 Wildlife Order and the 1970 Animal Welfare Act - is a golden opportunity to advance the protection of our wildlife with huge strides over the next few years."
John Milburne, chairman of PAAWC and a wildlife officer at the Environment and Heritage Service, welcomed the creation of the new body yesterday.
"The creation of this group comes not a moment too soon. We know that wildlife crimes often remain undetected or are not tackled adequately in Northern Ireland."
He said examples of such crimes included habitat destruction, badger digging and persecution of birds of prey.
