Overtredingen van de Flora- en faunawet in Drenthe

In this study, three investigations into the illegal persecution of raptors and other wildlife crimes in the province of Drenthe in 2009-12 are detailed. The first case involved the finding of poisoned baits (sandwiches, shot Woodpigeons and corvids, baited with aldicarb) on an estate. Subsequent posting revealed two persons operating a trap cage, and a third person carrying a shotgun with cartridges with lead shot (illegal). The area was found to be littered with several more trap cages, a Pheasant pen and many more poisoned baits. Searches in the respective houses showed ammunition and a loaded rifle (both outside the safe), bottles with poison (5 kg of carbofuran, but also aldicarb and Bayer Morkit). The interrogation resulted in the admittance of the illegal use of trap cages, the illegal release of Pheasants and the illegal possession of poison and use of poisoned baits. Two suspects were sentenced to 240 hours of service to the community and 5 respectively 4 months of probation. Hunting licenses were revoked. Two owners with poisoned dogs should receive compensation. The second case was one of 46 cases where illegal activities had been recorded in the field. Limited resources and time compelled to focus on a single case with ‘certain’ success in terms of prosecution. This one involved a hunting field near Assen, where monitored conversations and a beacon on the suspects’ car (a military vehicle) indicated illegal activities. Subsequent monitoring and searches of the suspect’s premises showed live Pheasants, illegal ammunition, a silencer and buckshot. A second suspect, in whose hunting field poisoned baits and illegal traps had been found, was videoed when placing twelve dead corvids in the field (baited with parathion); another bait (pigeon) found later contained aldicarb. A search of his house, and his mother’s farm, revealed a large amount of pesticides, among which parathion and aldicarb, on top of dead corvids, day-old chickens, illegal ammunition and some more. The first person was sentenced to 40 hours of service to the community (illegal release of Pheasants, possession of silencer and illegal ammunition), the other to 80 hours of service and a 500 euro fine for having pesticides and illegal ammunition in possession. Both hunting licenses were revoked. This case incidentally ran into other illegal activities of related persons, like releasing Phesants (which is illegal in The Netherlands), resulting in several charges. A third case was related to 58 hunting incidents in Drenthe, accumulated in the course of the years. A gamekeeper on an estate with a long history of incidents was caught in flagrante delicto when burying two shot Buzzards. This case is still in court. These prosecutions show that a focus on single cases, including a full deployment of men and means, is necessary to successfully bring to court and have convicted the perpetrators of wildlife crimes.