Wildlife crime unit launched

A police-led unit to target and disrupt serious wildlife crime on a regional, national and international level has been launched in Edinburgh.

The National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) is the only one of its kind in the UK.

A multi-agency operation, the NWCU will gather, analyse and co-ordinate wildlife crime intelligence and support the enforcement activities of police and HM Revenue and Customs officers in the UK.

A new proactive arm staffed by Investigative Support Officers will further increase the impact of the unit's efforts and directly support Police Wildlife Crime Officers across the constabularies of the UK.

Launching the unit, Biodiversity Minister, Barry Gardiner, said: "Stepping up the unit's remit will facilitate greater numbers of prosecutions and go a long way in the fight to stamp out wildlife crime, but this is not something we can do alone.

"Working with partners both inside and outside of government we are now in a prime position to tackle the perpetrators head-on. This unit sends a clear message: we will not tolerate wildlife crime in the UK."

The pilot for the NWCU was set up in 2002, and originally functioned from within the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) as a focal point to gather, analyse and disseminate actionable intelligence both nationally and internationally.

Initial support was provided by Defra, the Scottish Executive, the Association of Chief Police Officers, HM Revenue and Customs, and the Home Office.

Commenting on the launch of the NWCU, Barry Fryer, Chief Superintendent of the RSPCA's Special Operations Unit, said: "We welcome that the Government has recognised the importance of fighting wildlife crime by igcreasing the role of this unit. It's a step forward in the fight against wildlife crime. We hope to work closely with the National Wildlife Crime Unit in the future."

Wildlife crime is categorised by one or more of the following: the illegal trade in endangered species, crimes involving nature species that are endangered or of conservation concern and the cruelty and persecution of wildlife species.

The legitimate trade in wild plants, animals and their derivatives is worth billions of pounds globally. It is estimated that international illegal wildlife trade is worth anything between 25% to 70% of the legal trade.

The demand for some products is so high that it has pushed certain species to the brink of extinction.

Areas of priority for the NWCU include Hen Harrier persecution, the conservation of Freshwater Pearl Mussels and the illegal caviar trade.

(KMcA/EF)