“A scheme to get rid of illegal pesticides which could be used to poison wildlife, has been launched today.
The scheme will allow those who know, or suspect they are in possession of certain pesticides which are illegal, to dispose of them safely and confidentially.
Only selected substances will be accepted through the scheme. These include Carbofuran, the most commonly used poison in bird of prey persecution, and other illegal pesticides such as Mevinphos and Strychnine.
Environment Minister, and Chair of the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) Scotland, Dr Aileen McLeod said:
“The illegal poisoning of wildlife cannot and will not be tolerated in a modern Scotland. The Scottish Government has made tackling wildlife crime a priority. We have the strongest laws on wildlife crime in the UK, including vicarious liability, which was recently successfully used in the courts.
“There were 96 recorded incidents of illegal poisoning abuse involving wildlife in the last 5 years from 2009-2013. It is essential that we remove all substances from the countryside that could kill our wildlife, and that are a risk to people and pets who may accidentally be exposed to them, which is why the Scottish Government has introduced the pesticide disposal scheme.
“I would encourage people to carefully and safely check sheds and outbuildings for old stocks of illegal substances. While recent incidents have demonstrated that some people are still deliberately using these pesticides to kill wildlife, we also know that in many cases these substances may have been left forgotten and unused for years. Therefore I hope that people will come forward safe in the knowledge that handing over these pesticides will not be seen as an assumption of guilt.
“Those interested in disposing of illegal pesticides should contact the scheme operator on the number provided. We anticipate this will be a short-life scheme, so people should make use of it without delay.”
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Source: Scottish Government
