The problem
Wildlife crimes in the UK occur frequently but are rarely brought to light. Overstretched police forces, often lacking the necessary training and support, are tasked with investigating and prosecuting these crimes.
Despite the long-recognised links between animal abuse and violence against people, and between serious organised crime and wildlife crime, offences against animals in the wild do not count in the same way as other serious crimes, such as those involving drugs, firearms, and violence.
Badger baiting is just one example of the hidden crimes in our countryside, highlighting the urgent need for better detection and prosecution of wildlife crimes.
The solution
We urge the Labour Government to take immediate steps to protect our wildlife by making all wildlife crimes 'notifiable.' This means that these offences would be recorded as crimes and counted within national statistics, rather than just at the local level. The true scale of wildlife crime is currently unknown.
By making these offences notifiable, we can enhance the detection and prosecution of key wildlife crimes and bring more criminal offenders to justice.