Over 6,000 bird eggs have been seized in the UK in the largest ever operation targeting wildlife crime. The eggs, found hidden in various locations, are part of an international effort to tackle the illegal trade in wild bird eggs. Similar seizures in Australia and Norway have recovered thousands more eggs.
Part of an international initiative to combat organised wildlife crime , similar seizures in Australia and Norway have recovered more than 50,000 eggsMore than 6,000 eggs have been seized in the biggest haul of its kind in UK history, after police carried out raids in Scotland, South Yorkshire, Essex, Wales and Gloucester. Thousands of eggs were found secreted in attics, offices and drawers.
“The scale of this operation is alarming”, said Dominic Meeks from the University of Cambridge. “Previous seizures have been the product of singular obsessive individuals, but the complexity of this operation appears to be far greater, with numerous actors operating in different countries. The larger the scale of the operation, the greater the potential for negative impacts on the target species’ wild populations.
Most wild egg collecting became a criminal act in the UK in 1954 – but some collectors continued and went underground. All wild birds, including their nests and eggs, are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Harrison said: “The taking, possessing and trading of wild bird eggs is illegal and, overall, it is believed that these crimes are less common than they were. However, clearly it still goes on and as the overall number of birds is declining it can be argued that this crime has an even greater impact now than it did years ago.
Wildlife Crime Egg Trafficking Organized Crime Bird Conservation Operation Pulka
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