Hen Harriers and Birds of Prey

Thank you to everyone who got in touch with me about the licensing of gamebird shooting and the killing of birds of prey.

I know people care very deeply about protecting important species and managing our uplands in a sustainable way to protect wildlife, the environment and the people who live there. I know there is evidence linking gamebird shooting to illegal raptor persecution. Where any wild bird of prey is killed illegally, the full force of the law should apply to proven perpetrators of the crime.

As you may know, birds of prey are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Anyone convicted of an offence under this legislation could face up to a six-month custodial sentence and/or an unlimited fine. Sentencing rightly remains a matter for judges and is independent of Government. I understand our Government has not yet made any formal assessment of the potential merits of licensing gamebird shooting in England.

However, I am pleased that the persecution of birds of prey is treated as a national wildlife crime priority. Our Government funds the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) to assist law enforcers investigating this. The NWCU launched the Hen Harrier Task Force (HTF) in 2024 to help tackle illegal persecution. It uses innovative technology like drones and specialised detection dogs to enhance evidence collection in remote areas. Our Government also supports the work of a Tactical Delivery Group, which brings together stakeholders to tackle illegal bird of prey persecution.

There is an ongoing review of the HTF which is expected to report to our Government later this year. It will include an overview of confirmed crimes and their locations as well as successes and recommendations for the future.

Hen harriers are monitored year-round by Natural England and the RSPB. Field-based monitoring is underpinned by fitting satellite ‘tags’ to some hen harriers, which provides invaluable insights into their movements and habitat use. It also flags when and where they might have died, enabling their recovery for postmortem analysis and an enforcement response where there may have been illegal activity.