Hi Tweets,

Let's quit the semantic bobbing and weaving:

*to the best knowledge of our raptor specialists/falconers* is there a black
market for falcons and other raptors? Yes/No. In the last year? The last decade?

If yes, who knows what about it?

When I asked for comment on the UKBirdnet forward, I expected a little more
than dead silence from our raptor guys until someone suggested that not all
falconers might be completely honest, the dead silence being followed by
defensive attack. I had hoped for something as optimistically constructive,
if in a depressing context, as Alistair Rae's original post. I agree with
Don B: Michael Dossett's points need measured answers, not turning his
points into the problem; doing that makes me wonder if a faint trace of
diversion isn't what I'm sniffing on the early spring air. So let's get to
cases.

Quotes are from the original forward.

>Here in Yorkshire we have an
>ongoing problem with the destruction of raptor nests, both eggs and young
>of Peregrine are frequently taken.

It has happened historically in BC, Washington State and elsewhere in the
Cascadia Region, the last time I read about in the Vancouver papers, not
very long ago.

*To your best knowledge*, is it *still* happening? Yes/No.

If yes, who is doing what about it? Where is the market?

>In my own area, last year, no Peregrine
>young fledged. Recent information suggests that even Merlin are now being
>taken for falconry in significant numbers.

Same question as first and second.

>Whilst, here at least, the
>knowledge of these people (the thieves) is apparently frighteningly
>accurate, it is important that raptor nest sites are kept as confidential
>as possible.

Does that happen here? Yes/No.

Do the various falconers' associations have explicit policy on this? Yes/No.

Is there voluntary surveillance or protection? Yes/No.

Do the falconers' associations currently incur prosecutions against known
poachers? Yes/No. If so, how many in the last year? The last decade?

>This year there is a nationwide initiative to improve
>protection for our raptor species based on a variety of methods and
>involving many agencies but confidentiality of sites is one of the most
>important methods of all, if they don't know about the site they can't
>destroy the eggs and young or steal them.

Is there anything similar in either Canada or the US at the federal,
state/provincial or local (association) level? Yes/No. If no, why not?

Is there any contact between the US and Canadian falconers' associations and
the people in the UK doing this?

Of course, why is this my business? Or that of any non-falconer? Who cares
if raptors are just one more commodity? Does the law reflect the ethic or
vice-versa? If the ethic is paramount, one would hope that the users
themselves would have an ironclad code of conduct, with its transgression
swiftly and effectively dealt with. Someone cited doing that just to keep
government out of the activities. Well, since government is at base simply
you or I--don't vote? pity--or our properly designated agents, that's an
interesting but eventually self-defeating concept. But I think that person
actually meant bureaucracy, that is, administrative power without
accountability, which is the enemy of good goverment--left, center or
right--and the people at whatever level it grows.

>There is an interesting website, including some very depressing data, at
>www.blackpool.net/nwrpg/index.htm.

I can't bear to go there, so someone else will have to bring the evil news.
Evil. Hm. Isn't there a medieval antiphon/response that goes something like
'Lord, save us from the evil man, kyrie eleison'? Now *there* was a hit
before your mother was born.

Michael Price A brave world, Sir,
Vancouver BC Canada full of religion, knavery and change;
mprice at mindlink.net we shall shortly see better days.
Aphra Behn (1640-1689)