Brown hare © Andy Fisher
UK Wildlife Crime Priorities
Based on a strategic assessment of wildlife crime nation wide, the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) identified the following as top wildlife crime priorities for 2007-08.
- Illegal trade of endangered species (focusing on illegal trade in cavier, ivory, ramin (a tropical hardwood), tortoises and traditional medicines.
- Poaching (with specific focus on deer, fish and brown hare poaching)
- Bat crime
- Hen Harrier persecution
- Freshwater pearl mussel
The NWCU was set up in 2006. It is a police-led multi-agency unit with the UK wide remit for Wildlife Crime. It gathers intelligence on national wildlife crime and provides investigative and analytical support on wildlife crime to police office and customs officers nationwide.
