Written Question · S4W-14801 · Session 4
How much funding and how many personnel it provides to tackle wildlife crime.
The question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding and how many personnel it provides to tackle wildlife crime.
The answer
Police reform has delivered an enhanced structure for wildlife crime officers in Scotland which involves 14 Wildlife Crime Liaison Officers, a Sergeant as a National Coordinator and a Portfolio Lead at Superintendent level. This structure will deliver better coordination and communication. Ultimately however, it is a matter for the Chief Constable to allocate and prioritise resources in relation to operational policing needs.
The Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) Scotland delivered £200,000 to wildlife crime projects, via Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), looking specifically at prevention, intelligence and enforcement. This 2 year funded project ended in 2011 but currently SNH are looking to fund further projects through their grant in aid schemes and this will also be advertised by PAW Scotland.
The Scottish Government also part-fund the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and funding for 2013-14 in the sum of £45,000 was confirmed this year. Additionally, a Scottish Investigative Support Officer post in the NWCU has been funded by Scottish Government, SNH and Police Scotland with a key focus on both Raptor and Freshwater Pearl Mussel Persecution as key Scottish priorities.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) created a team of specialist Wildlife and Environmental prosecutors in August 2011. The benefits that this specialism has brought include improved consistency, close working relationships with specialist investigators, early intervention in complex cases, improved reporting of wildlife crime to COPFS and the improving quality of prosecutions.
In the Scottish Government the management of wildlife crime policy and PAW Scotland is dealt with by 1.5 full time equivalent (FTE) staff in the Environment and Forestry Directorate.
The Agriculture, Food and Rural Communities (AFRC) Directorate complete approximately 1200 land based and often remote, inspections each year. Inspectors are aware of wildlife legislation and suspected incidents of wildlife crime are forwarded to wildlife crime officers.
Marine Scotland has 103 Marine Enforcement Officers who have compliance monitoring and enforcement obligations and certain statutory responsibilities for marine nature conservation issues. Marine Scotland also has three patrol vessels and two fixed wing surveillance aircraft, one of which has recently been equipped to carry out bird survey work.
SNH have lead contacts in their seven operational areas within Scotland who have a coordinating role for the local involvement in combatting wildlife crime. They work closely with the police and the network of area officers whose field staff are in regular contact with land managers. Centrally there are between 1 and 2 FTE posts whose work can touch on wildlife crime.
As wildlife crime issues can surface anywhere as field staff or others go about their day-to-day activities, it is not possible to estimate the full resource in this area that may be deployed at any given time.
The Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) Scotland delivered £200,000 to wildlife crime projects, via Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), looking specifically at prevention, intelligence and enforcement. This 2 year funded project ended in 2011 but currently SNH are looking to fund further projects through their grant in aid schemes and this will also be advertised by PAW Scotland.
The Scottish Government also part-fund the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and funding for 2013-14 in the sum of £45,000 was confirmed this year. Additionally, a Scottish Investigative Support Officer post in the NWCU has been funded by Scottish Government, SNH and Police Scotland with a key focus on both Raptor and Freshwater Pearl Mussel Persecution as key Scottish priorities.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) created a team of specialist Wildlife and Environmental prosecutors in August 2011. The benefits that this specialism has brought include improved consistency, close working relationships with specialist investigators, early intervention in complex cases, improved reporting of wildlife crime to COPFS and the improving quality of prosecutions.
In the Scottish Government the management of wildlife crime policy and PAW Scotland is dealt with by 1.5 full time equivalent (FTE) staff in the Environment and Forestry Directorate.
The Agriculture, Food and Rural Communities (AFRC) Directorate complete approximately 1200 land based and often remote, inspections each year. Inspectors are aware of wildlife legislation and suspected incidents of wildlife crime are forwarded to wildlife crime officers.
Marine Scotland has 103 Marine Enforcement Officers who have compliance monitoring and enforcement obligations and certain statutory responsibilities for marine nature conservation issues. Marine Scotland also has three patrol vessels and two fixed wing surveillance aircraft, one of which has recently been equipped to carry out bird survey work.
SNH have lead contacts in their seven operational areas within Scotland who have a coordinating role for the local involvement in combatting wildlife crime. They work closely with the police and the network of area officers whose field staff are in regular contact with land managers. Centrally there are between 1 and 2 FTE posts whose work can touch on wildlife crime.
As wildlife crime issues can surface anywhere as field staff or others go about their day-to-day activities, it is not possible to estimate the full resource in this area that may be deployed at any given time.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S4W-14801 by reference.