Annual Wildlife Crime Report

Wildlife and Countryside Link has today released its annual Wildlife Crime Report, highlighting that only 2% of reported wildlife crimes in 2024 resulted in a conviction (excluding fisheries). 

The report also reveals startling new statistics on the strong connection between wildlife crime and other serious and violent crimes against people – including criminal damage, domestic violence, burglary and drug crimes.  

The report details thousands of protected wild animals are being illegally killed, trapped, or disturbed every year, with offences ranging from badger baiting, hare coursing and raptor persecution to the illegal wildlife trade. Yet the vast majority of offenders face no consequences for wildlife crime. Lack of action on wildlife crime can leave criminals offending more widely, with over 80% of wildlife offenders active in other crimes against people. 

Key findings from the 2024 Wildlife Crime Report include:

• Nearly 2,000 wildlife crime incidents were reported in 2024 – but only 43 convictions were secured (excluding fisheries). Though this is a rise from 2023, convictions remain too low to be an effective deterrent (see the data tables in notes to editors)
• A record low level of hunting convictions since 2017 – just 14 convictions
• New National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) analysis of data on 128 wildlife criminals also reveals strong connections between crime towards animals and violent crimes towards people. With particularly strong connections to poaching, hare coursing and badger crimes.
• Wildlife criminals are most commonly associated with violent offences and theft/criminal damage (59% and 58% respectively). This rises steeply for poaching and hare coursing offenders (72% and 78%) and badger crime offenders (67% and 62%).
• The association with organised acquisitive crime (including burglary and rogue trader related fraud) is also strongest in poaching and hare coursing offenders. 
• Drug criminality is most strongly associated with badger crime offenders (48%)
• There is a link to domestic violence and abuse for 27% of all wildlife crime offenders, but this is strongest in poaching and hare coursing offenders (34%).
• Just 18% of all wildlife crime offenders did not have a connection to any other crime besides their conviction.

Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said:

“The criminal justice system is failing British wildlife and communities on wildlife crime. Wildlife is being relentlessly targeted by criminals – from brutal badger baiting to birds of prey being shot or poisoned. Yet barely two percent of reported wildlife crimes result in a conviction. This sends a dangerous message that people can kill or harm wildlife and get away with it.

“It’s not just nature at stake. The National Wildlife Crime Unit has shown that those who commit crimes against animals are often involved in serious violence and organised crime. Failing to convict on wildlife crimes leaves the door wide open for these criminals to commit other offences. Better resourcing for police forces and strategically tackling wildlife crime as a recordable offence would help make our streets safer for people as well as protect treasured British wildlife.”

Kevin Lacks-Kelly, Head of UK National Wildlife Crime Unit & Chair INTERPOL Wildlife Crime Working Group, said: “Protecting wildlife is protecting communities. Wildlife crime fuels broader organised offending and damages public safety, the economy and nature. Only a sustained, well-resourced, partnership-led response will stop it.” 

A wide array of wildlife crimes is detailed in the new report. Crimes against birds of prey continue to blight the countryside, with hen harriers the most persecuted bird of prey in England, yet no one has ever been convicted for targeting, injuring or killing a hen harrier.  Hunting Act breaches remain widespread, with hundreds of suspected illegal hunts still taking place under the guise of trail hunting, and with violent cruel ‘sports’ like hare coursing and badger baiting still rife. Building-related wildlife crime is still highly prevalent, with crimes by developers and individual home-owners against species like bats, badgers, foxes and birds. Marine mammals, including seals and dolphins, are frequently disturbed or harmed, with many cases unrecorded or left unenforced. 

Even fisheries crimes, which have been traditionally better resourced and enforced, are seeing resources fall (with a 90% reduction (£10.6m) in the enforcement grant in aid to the Environment Agency since 2010 and falling enforcement revenue from rod licences). Illegal wildlife trade border seizures (of items such as wild plants, traditional medicine products, ivory and other ornaments as well as live wild animals for pets and for food), increased this year by 30%, which is welcome, but we are only aware of 8 CITES prosecution cases since our 2023 report. 

Effectively tackling wildlife crime is a key step towards meeting Government commitments to meet its legally binding target to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. Wildlife and Countryside Link is urging the Government to:

• Make key wildlife crimes “notifiable” to the Home Office, so they are properly recorded and prioritised by police.
• Introduce sentencing guidelines and tougher penalties for wildlife crimes, in line with other animal welfare offences.
• Ban snares and trail hunting, as promised in the Labour manifesto.
• Increase police training and resources, including long-term funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit.
• Enforce wildlife protections in planning and development, to prevent illegal harm to habitats and species.

Paul Coulson, Chief Executive of the Institute of Fisheries Management, said: “Over the past 15 years, there has been a sustained decline in funding for fisheries enforcement, significantly limiting the capacity of the Environment Agency and its partners to address fisheries crime. This reduction has come despite the introduction of additional legislative responsibilities, such as those under the Eels Regulations. Without renewed investment and support, there is a genuine risk that the hard-won progress made in restoring fish populations and improving aquatic habitats in recent years will be undone.”

Read the full report below