By
Conor Macauley
BBC NI Agriculture & Environment Correspondent
26
November 2015
Fifteen
birds of prey were killed in Northern Ireland last year, according to a new
report from the RSPB.
Almost
half of the cases were caused by poisoning.
Buzzards,
red kites and a peregrine falcon were amongst the birds targeted. The worst
area was in County Down, where seven birds were found dead.
The
charity says that is "very concerning" as it is where it is trying to
reintroduce the red kite.
At
present there are 12 breeding pairs - well short of the 50 pairs needed for a
sustainable population.
The
project suffered a blow in 2014 when a member of the public contacted the
charity about a possible poisoning incident.
A
nest, near Katesbridge, was found to contain a dead female and two dead chicks.
"The
problem is a constant battle and will only be won through raising awareness and
concerted efforts to identify and penalise the minority of people who threaten
these birds' very existence," said Michelle Hill, senior conservation
officer with RSPBNI.
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