Wildlife crime: 143 prosecutions recorded since 2020

Wildlife crime risks the survival of invaluable species or jeopardises their habitats. File picture

There have been 143 prosecutions for wildlife crime in Ireland since January 2020, according to the Department of Housing.

The figures, which have been released to the Irish Examiner, show 33 people across the country have been convicted by the National Parks and Wildlife Service for breaking the Wildlife Act so far this year.

Those statistics are in comparison to 29 prosecutions nationally last year while 44 people were convicted of wildlife crime in 2021 and 37 in 2020.

The highest number of convictions since 2020 was in Galway, where 19 people have been prosecuted.

That was followed by Kildare at 17, Westmeath and Laois at 14, and Cork at 10.

However, since 2020 there have been no convictions in Sligo for wildlife crime.

Wildlife crime can be described as any harming, taking, trading, possessing, obtaining, or consumption of wild flora and fauna.

It also risks the survival of invaluable species or jeopardises their habitats.

The NPWS, which is overseen by the Department of Housing, did not provide a breakdown of what the prosecutions were for, in relation to wildlife crime.

Mia Timms, who runs the Heartstone Sanctuary in Sligo, said: “I don’t accept the figures. Not enough is being done to tackle this issue. 

Wildlife crime is everywhere, violence is in-built into animal agriculture, as is the disregard for wildlife and the lack of interest in this area.

“We are nowhere near where we should be in tackling wildlife crime”.

In a statement, the NPWS told the Irish Examiner more was being done to improve the area and said: “As of April 2023, over 471 staff work in the area of natural heritage throughout the NPWS. Additional resources are being recruited across all grades and specialisms in NPWS."