§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received in respect of his proposal to lift protection from birds of prey; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsI announced on 21 February 1994 that, following our review, we proposed to make changes to the bird registration system to reduce unnecessary regulation and to ensure that the controls are targeted and implemented more effectively. We consulted around 7,000 organisations and individuals about our proposal and a copy of our consultation letter was placed in the Library. Some 192 responses were received.
The Government remain convinced that the bird registration system is in need of change. It was introduced for conservation reasons and mainly in response to concerns about the major decline in populations of birds of prey in the wild. Since the introduction of the registration system of 1982, populations of some species have recovered, particularly sparrowhawks, kestrels and common buzzards.
Some concern was expressed by consultees that the removal of ringing and registration requirements could lead to an increase in the taking of birds of prey from the wild. However, we believe that the strict controls which will continue to protect birds of prey in the wild should avoid any threat to the conservation of the three United Kingdom breeding species to be removed from registration requirements: the sparrowhawk, kestrel and common buzzard. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 generally prohibits the injuring, killing or taking of birds from the wild. It also generally makes it an offence to possess any bird or egg, whether alive or dead, or any part or derivative of such a specimen.
The Act will continue to be strictly enforced. Moreover, the resources which will be released by deregistration will enable the Department's wildlife inspectorate to give 41W greater assistance to the police and other enforcement agencies in protecting all wild birds, particularly those more endangered species such as the hobby, red kite and golden eagle. Reorganising work in this way will also provide resources to expand the use of DNA testing techniques to verify captive breeding claims.
Concern was also expressed by the RSPCA and others that freedom of movement of specimens within the European Union would create opportunities for illegal trade in non-native birds, including globally threatened species. We have therefore decided that ringing and registration controls should continue to apply within Great Britain to birds of prey which are threatened with extinction on a global basis, in order to assist international conservation efforts. In particular this means that the following species originally proposed for deregistration will be retained on schedule 4 to the Act.
Species Black Honey-Buzzard Henicopernis infuscatus Madagascar Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vociferoides Pallas's Fish Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus Steller's Sea Eagle Haliaeetus pelagicus Mountain Serpent-Eagle Spilornis kinabaluenis Adaman Serpent-Eagle Spilornis elgini Madagascar Serpent-Eagle Eutriorchis astur Small Sparrowhawk Accipiter nanus New Britain Sparrowhawk Accipiter brachyurus Imitator Sparrowhawk Accipiter imitator Gundlach's Sparrowhawk Accipiter gundlachi White-necked Hawk Leucopternis lacernulata Grey-backed Hawk Leucopternis occidentalis Ridgeway's Hawk Buteo ridgwayi Galapagos Hawk Buteo galapagoensis Hawaiian Hawk Buteo solitarius New Guinea Eagle Harpyopsis novaeguinae Great Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi Adalbert's Eagle Aquila adalberti Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca Wallace's Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus nanus Plumbeous Forest-Falcon Micrastur plumbeus Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni Mauritius Kestrel Falco punctatus The Government proposal to invite the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to advise on criteria for the listing of species on schedule 4 and our proposal that the list of species should be subject to regular review, will enable us to respond to changes in population levels of particular species and introduce or reinstate registration requirements in the future. If necessary, this can be done swiftly to meet any conservation need. I have today made an order under section 22 of the Act. This will remove the following species from schedule 4 to the Act: sparrowhawk, kestrel, common buzzard, non-native and irregular visitor species of birds of prey—except the Barbary falcon and the globally threatened species listed above—and certain other birds which are not commonly kept in captivity.