Police and gamekeepers join forces to help wildlife

Force seek to rebuild bridges in the community to prevent rural crime

By iain grant

Published:

Police joined representatives of Scotland’s gamekeepers last night in calling for a broad-based crackdown on wildlife crime.

The need to build bridges and avoid blanket accusations against estate workers was highlighted at North Highland College’s annual prizegiving for gamekeeping students.

Wick-based Chief Inspector Andy Brown regretted that some individuals and bodies chose to consistently accuse gamekeepers, stalkers and ghillies of committing crimes against wildlife.

Chief Insp Brown, area commander for Caithness and Sutherland, said this had undermined the good relations between police and wildlife managers.

He said past links had helped in countless cases of missing persons and in poaching or badger baiting incidents.

“I want to forge strong links with the gamekeepers, stalkers and ghillies to rebuild that good working relationship that previously existed, to help prevent and detect crime in our rural community," he said.

“I also believe that this partnership will create the foundation for better working between all bodies involved in the prevention of rural crime, especially wildlife crime.”

Speaking at the ceremony in NHC’s main campus at Thurso, Chief Insp Brown continued: “My vision would be to see a strong partnership, built on good communication, trust and mutual respect between all bodies, where all work together for the benefit of our land, community and heritage.”

His sentiments were echoed by Scottish Gamekeepers Association chairman Alex Hogg.

A professional gamekeeper for more than 30 years, Mr Hogg said gamekeepers, stalkers and ghillies were too often unfairly accused of wildlife crime.

“The students leaving the college should be proud of their qualifications and the profession to which they now belong," he said.

“They should not be starting their careers tainted by unwarranted negative publicity. To that end, we have been working hard to build bridges with other rural agencies to find positive ways of going forward. The challenges ahead call for a calm and science-based approach."

NHC gamekeeping course tutor John Waters agreed that recent attitudes by some agencies had created a huge gulf. Instead of a respectful working relationship, he claimed, there was now suspicion and distrust between conservationists and gamekeepers.

Mr Waters said: “We want solutions to problems in the countryside, and the only way to achieve that is by talking and compromise. Professional trained gamekeepers do not commit wildlife crime.

“It is more than their jobs are worth because, if they were found guilty, they would also lose their homes and any prospect of a future career."