Donal Hickey: Poisoning is a widespread wildlife crime

Illegal poisons are still in use here — and they're the main cause of untimely deaths of birds of prey here

Persecution and deaths of wild birds: a NPWS report highlights causes including poisonings, shootings and wind turbine strike

In spite of a ban on poisons, poisoning continues to be the main cause of ‘incidents’ resulting in the deaths of birds of prey here. And wildlife crime is still widespread.

Recently, a white-tailed eagle, protected under the Wildlife Act, was found dead on County Cavan farmland, after consuming a poison used as pest control, whilst a Tipperary farmer was fined €1,000 for shooting two protected mute swans on his land.