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Publication - Corporate report

Wildlife crime in Scotland: 2020 annual report

Published
1 April 2022
Directorate
Environment and Forestry Directorate
Part of
Environment and climate change
ISBN
9781804353066

The ninth wildlife crime annual report, with new data from the financial year 2019 to 2020.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Appendix 2A - Further information on COPFS Case Outcomes

Table A: Outcomes of all fish poaching cases
  2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
No action 10 8 5 * 5
Alternative to prosecution 15 20 * 10 9
Prosecuted 5 7 * * 3
of which convicted * * * * 1
No. of reports received 30 35 18 15 17
Table B: Outcomes of all other wildlife cases
  2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
No action 30 19 25 16 17
Alternative to prosecution 12 15 * 8 5
Prosecuted 18 25 * 15 9
of which convicted * * * 9 4
No. of reports received 60 59 49 39 31

Outcomes by Individual Case Category

Offences relating to badgers

For the period 2015-2020, a total of 9 cases relating to badgers were reported to COPFS.

Table D: Offences relating to birds
  2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
No action 9 10 * * 0
Alternative to prosecution * 5 * * 0
Prosecuted * 9 * 6 1
of which convicted * * * * 1
No. of reports received 15 24 13 12 1
Table E: Offences relating to cruelty to wild animals
  2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
No. of reports received * 8 0 * 0
Table F: Offences relating to deer
  2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
No. of reports received * * * * 3
Table G: Offences relating to hunting with dogs
  2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
No action 8 * * * 9
Alternative to prosecution * * * 0 0
Prosecuted * * 9 * 4
of which convicted * * * 0 1
No. of reports received 15 7 22 7 13
Table H: Other wildlife offences
  2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
No action 9 * 5 * 5
Alternative to prosecution 6 * * 5 4
Prosecuted 5 6 * * 2
of which convicted * * 0 * 2
No. of reports received 20 14 10 11 11

Table I: Other conservation offences

For the period 2015-20, a total of 3 cases relating to other conservation offences were reported to COPFS.

Contact

Email: john.gray@gov.scot

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