Wildlife Crime in Scotland 2022

Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA): Wildlife DNA Forensic Unit

SASA is a division of the Scottish Government’s Agriculture and Rural Economy directorate based in Edinburgh. One of its principal functions is to provide analytical and forensic services in the investigation of wildlife crime. The Wildlife DNA Forensic unit specialises in analysing animal DNA recovered during wildlife crime investigations – for example to determine what species a blood sample comes from or to link other evidence to a wildlife crime scene.

Figure 8: The most common offences for 2021-22 were raptor persecution, poaching and coursing and other offences.

Total cases submitted to the Wildlife DNA Forensic Unit 2021-22

The 17 cases submitted to the Wildlife DNA Forensic Unit from Scotland over 2021-22 reporting period are presented in Figure 8, along with data for previous years. (Please note that CITES means offences relating to the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species.) These 17 cases show a broadly similar distribution in categories to 2020-21, with raptor persecution, poaching and coursing and other representing the highest numbers of submissions (five cases for each).

Further detail: of the breakdown by offence type for cases submitted to the Wildlife DNA Forensic Unit is provided in table 13 of the Tables supporting document.

SASA also reported that three cases were concluded with a guilty plea from the accused: one case in the Poaching and Coursing category for red deer poaching, one case in the Raptor persecution category concerning the shooting of a Sparrowhawk and one case in the Badger persecution category for badgers and foxes being baited by dogs.