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InvestigatesWild Not FreeHUNDREDS OF PROTECTED birds of prey are being exported from Ireland every year to boost the Middle East’s lucrative falcon trade.
The Journal Investigates can reveal how vulnerable raptors are being sold and transported to wealthy Gulf countries for use in competitive hunting and racing contests.
Figures obtained by The Journal Investigates show that between 2013 and 2023, 1,896 falcons were exported out of Ireland to other countries.
Of those, 94% were shipped to Saudi Arabia, Qatar or the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for “personal” or “commercial” purposes.
According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) database, over half were sold to buyers in the UAE alone.
While the trade mostly involves captive birds, experts say it puts Ireland’s wild falcon population at risk from poachers wanting to cash in on huge sums offered by wealthy Middle Eastern buyers.
The profitable bird business is also happening against a backdrop of raptor persecution across the island of Ireland.
Over the last decade, falconry has become one of the Middle East’s most popular sports.
According to the UK’s National Wildlife Crime Unit, a pure-bred falcon can reach sums of up to €300,000 in the Gulf, with buyers willing to pay much more for wild-born raptors.
Rare falcons are seen as the ultimate status symbol, with races and hunting contests offering multi-million euro prize pots.
The UAE even holds ‘beauty’ contests solely for peregrine falcons, again with huge jackpots on offer for winning falcons.
As the sport’s popularity has grown, so has international trade in endangered raptors.
Analysis of CITES data by The Journal Investigates shows that falcon trade between Ireland and the Middle East has grown significantly over the last decade.
In 2013, just 28 falcons were recorded as having been exported out of the country.
However, in 2022 a record high of 405 falcons were exported to other countries from Ireland – a 14-fold increase in trade in nine years.
Records show peregrine, saker and gyr falcons are the most popular species to be sold on the global market.
All three species – as well as their cross breeds – are listed in either Appendix I or II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
This is the highest protection given to any species, with strict regulations surrounding their trade in the 183 countries signed up to the convention.
Cross breeds – recorded as ‘hybrid’ falcons by CITES – account for the largest number of raptor exports over the last 10 years.
A total of 1,207 hybrid falcons were sold and shipped from Ireland to international buyers.
This is closely followed by gyr falcons, a transient visitor very rarely seen in the Irish countryside. Between 2013 and 2023, over 400 were imported into the Middle East from these shores.
CITES data also reveals how 149 critically endangered saker falcons were sold by Irish breeders to buyers in other parts of the world.
The Red List species is currently recorded as being in “rapid” global decline by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Peregrine falcons, a breed almost wiped out in Ireland due to poisoning and pesticide use, can also be found in the threatened species trade data. Almost 150 were sold from captivity to mostly Middle Eastern buyers.
One 2021 record, revealed that one peregrine was legally taken from the wild before being sold and exported to the UK.
Since 2017, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has issued 24 licences to allow the taking of raptor chicks from the wild.
Data obtained by The Journal Investigates under Access to Information on the Environment (AIE) regulations reveal that 21 of those licences were for the young of peregrine falcons.
According to the Birds of Conservation Concern Ireland 2020-2026 report, peregrines – the fastest moving animal on earth – currently hold ‘green’ status here
That means their breeding and numbers are currently not of concern on the island.
Although there are no up-to-date figures on exact numbers, a 2018 review found there were 400 peregrine breeding pairs recorded across the country.
However, the Irish Raptor Study Group report said populations are still recovering from devastating declines in the 1960s linked to pesticide use.
The raptor species is one of 11 birds of prey living in Ireland, alongside the buzzard, sparrow hawk and kestrel.
A wild take licence allows an individual to legally disturb the nest of a bird of prey and remove a newly hatched chick.
The NPWS states this is to allow wild birds to breed with captive bred birds to “prevent consanguinity” or genetic relatedness between individual birds.
Although 24 licences were granted, NPWS data shows that only 21 peregrine chicks were successfully taken in those seven years.
The practice, which is run in a lotto type style draw every year, has long been criticised by raptor activists.
“Peregrine falcons have two main risks, one, persecution, and secondly, with these licences,” said Ronan Hannigan, chairman of the Golden Eagle Trust.
“And that risk is people claiming they have a wild bird obtained via these licences, but obviously, they may have gone to the nest and taken them illegally.
“This may be happening when it comes to birds being traded to the Middle East or elsewhere.”
The Journal Investigates can also reveal how Ireland’s largest independent conservation organisation has formally urged the government to scrap the controversial practice.
BirdWatch Ireland, which has over 15,000 members, said the taking of peregrine chicks from the wild “makes no contribution to the conservation of birds” and may “negatively impact” local population of the species.
In a written submission to the NPWS last week, made as part of a public consultation on a review of wildlife laws, the group said the wild take of falcon chicks is “not something that the State should support or enable”.
In a statement to The Journal Investigates, a NPWS spokesperson said it issues licences for a “maximum” of five peregrine chicks to be taken from the wild each year.
“This is carried out in a manner to ensure that it will not have a detrimental effect on the conservation status of the bird,” the spokesperson said.
The NPWS said these licences also contain the condition that for the lifetime of any chick taken,” they may not moved, traded or gifted to any other person or premises other than that of the successful applicant” unless otherwise agreed with NPWS.
The spokesperson added: “Any chick taken from the wild under licence must have a veterinary surgeon microchip the peregrine within 30 days.”
A 2020 review commissioned by the NPWS revealed the extent of raptor persecution in Ireland.
Over 300 birds of prey were found to have been killed by humans or suffered some form of unexplained, or unnatural, death.
Research by the Recording and Addressing Persecution and Threats to Our Raptors (RAPTOR) protocol revealed that of those, 214 died as a result of poisoning.
The report, the latest government research available, revealed that the deaths were recorded in every county across the country.
That is of no surprise to Hannigan, who has dedicated most of his life to the preservation, and reintroduction, of birds of prey in Ireland.
Between 2001 and 2007, the solicitor and conservationist was part of a group which successfully brought the golden eagle, white tailed eagle and the red kite, back into Ireland.
Despite public consultation prior to the birds being reintroduced, all three species were subjected to persecution.
“Unfortunately, some were poisoned and we lost about 25% of the birds,” he said.
“I don’t know if it’s out of ignorance, or maybe or if it’s out of badness. But someone feels they want to harm the birds.”
Hannigan said not all deaths were targeted and said some were “clearly accidental”.
“It can’t be accidental when you shoot the bird, but when you put out poison for foxes or something else, it is completely indiscriminate.
“And what happens is that indiscriminate poison then obviously affects other species, including protected species like kites, buzzards, eagles, pine martens, etc,
“These protected animals also eat the poison and when they eat the poison, unfortunately, they die.”
Hannigan says Ireland’s biggest problem when it comes to tackling raptor persecution is not the laws, but the enforcement.
Last week, The Journal Investigates highlighted how the State’s wildlife enforcement agency scrapped plans for a dedicated crime unit.
The NPWS said its decision to instead set-up a ‘Directorate of Wildlife Enforcement and Nature Protection’ is an “upgrade” in the level of enforcement responsibility.
Reporter: Patricia Devlin • Editor: Maria Delaney • Video Production: Nicky Ryan • Social Media: Sadbh Cox • Main Image Design: Lorcan O’Reilly
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Animals are treated like garbage in Ireland.
@GoodBrother: humans are.
@GoodBrother: Yeah, I’m really pleased to see this series but it just drives home how terrible we are at animal welfare here. Stuff like banning bully breed dogs is just performative, we have completely toothless legislation for protecting wild and domestic animals from mistreatment and exploitation here.
@Rob Hunt: we should ban all forms of cruelty to animals and hunting.. and you should probably change your second name too on that note ..
@Rob Hunt: Politics in Ireland is a theatre show. At it’s most useful politicians will offer the lowest common denominator, the path of least resistance.
@Rob Hunt: I would recommend that you checkout the rebuttal piece to this article on the Facebook Page of the IrishHawking Club. It contains comments on the piece from one of the world’s leading conservationists which point out all the factual errors and misleading claims that have no scientific evidence to back them up. Read it and make your own mind up.
This series of reports over the last few days shows exactly who the real animals are in this country. Well done to the author of the articles.
@Pat Barry: No evidence is provided for all the wild claims and the piece is littered with factual inaccuracies. Read the rebuttal piece with all the supporting scientific evidence on the Irish Hawking Club Facebook page along with the comments from someone who is actually an expert in wildlife conservation.
Who the f¥(k though it’s a good idea to offer a licence to steal chicks from an endangered birds nest…
That has to stop now
I don’t care if it’s a handful a year one is too much…
@David Cotter: No evidence is provided for all of the wild claims made in spite of this piece claiming to be an investigation. Check out the rebuttal piece on the Irish Hawking Club Facebook page. It contains references to all the scientific population studies that have been carried out and that debunk all these claims. It also contains comments from the world’s leading Raptor conservationist that point out all the factual errors on the piece. Read it all and make your own mind up.
The government doesn’t give a hoot
How the f is thus legal
And we were told all along that it is the farmers shooting the raptors…..
I didn’t read d full article but fair play to d irish man making few extra bob off birds governments “cronies” makin alot more money from the like of bus shelters and bike stands than they ever will
@Johnny Stokes: A grown man that never grew out of text speak and can’t manage to read a full article. No wonder your opinions are so uneducated.
@Johnny Stokes: ahh Johnny it’s not always about hustling for money…..these creatures need our help
@David Cotter: While there’s an obvious ‘clang’ being leaned into above, everything is 100% about ‘hustling for money’, this is what our system supports and applauds. While some may lounge and (rightfully) measure success by time (the middle class), literally everyone else is getting as much money as they can by any means possible.
@Thesaltyurchin: so you think that this should be applauded because people have to hustle for money? It’s petty much the lowest of the low, and should be called out. You probably think those selling our wildlife for illegal baiting should get a medal too eh? Sickening.
@Johnny Stokes: with a comment like that – you must be based in Russian embassy to stoke up discord – hint in your username obvs.
There are so many factual errors in this article, it is staggering. Why has the representative body for falconry in Ireland not been contacted for comment? All peregrines bred in captivity are domestic stock, kept under licence and sold LEGALLY. (If there is criminal activity, where are the convictions?). They cannot leave Ireland and enter a jurisdiction without CITES documentation. This legal trade has absolutely nothing to do with raptor persecution, and it is bizarre how this article is pairing these things. Permits to harvest peregrines are not “a lottery” and are carefully vetted by the NPWS. It involves huge amounts of legwork and paperwork, which is why there is a market for aviary-bred birds. The amount taken (a maximum of 5 but usually 3) amounts to a tiny, tiny percentage of the annual first-year mortality rate, which is roughly 60% (ie, if there are three chicks in a nest, two will not survive their first winter, statistically). “Oh yes but wild take in general is bad” Where do you think all the chicks come from to resource these extensive raptor reintroduction projects? Do better, Journal.ie
Sensational none story. You left out the bit where their bringing the birds back to the Arab States with the race horses on their planes.
@P. V. Aglue: Are you having a stroke?
@Rob Hunt: it’s your racing pigeon buddies and pheasant shooters poisoning the raptors.
I doubt that the author has ever dealt with CITES regulations before. The article is full of mistakes, misunderstandings and omissions. You cannot lump together the trade in captive bred specimens and wild specimens like that. Captive bred specimens have entirely different trade regulations – and some may say that the trade in captive bred specimens actually helps wild specimens – because if you cannot satisfy the demand through captive bred animals you may go after wild animals. The point is controversial but this story doesn’t even acknowledge its existence. You cannot lump Appendix II and Appendix I listings together like that. There is a very active legal trade in Appendix II species – - that’s like writing “driving through a red OR a yellow light is a serious offense”.
That’s falcon awful.
Leave our chick alone
“Peregrine falcons have two main risks, one, persecution, and secondly, with these licences,” said Ronan Hannigan, chairman of the Golden Eagle Trust.
Really?
Why does a 13-year study by the National Parks and Wildlife Service into threats to Irish birds of prey not once mention “these licences”?
https://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM126.pdf
Because they are utterly inconsequential compared to the real threats to wild raptors and have no effect whatsoever on wild stocks. Whatever about Mr Hannigan seeming to have fabricated falsehoods to push his personal narrative, the Journal.ie could at least have done some fact-checking.
About as abysmal a piece of so called “investigative” journalism as you will find. Littered with errors of fact and claims and quotes with no evidence. Read the rebuttal piece on the Facebook Page of the Irish Hawking Club. It supplies references for many of the population studies which debunk all the wild claims in this piece and includes comments from one of the world’s leading Avian Conservationists, Dr Nick Fox OBE which leave the “trade” part of the article in tatters as well!
Read and make your own mind up!
About as abysmal a piece of so called “investigative” journalism as you will find. Littered with errors of fact and claims and quotes with no evidence. Read the rebuttal piece below which includes comments from one of the world’s leading Avian Conservationists and, just as importantly, peer reviewed scientific references which completely debunk this really poor article.
@michael quinn: as I can’t post links or the full response to this article, please look up the Irish Hawking club on Facebook
This article is full of absolute rubbish, it’s easy to see there was zero effort on behalf of the “journalist” to actually do any actually research into this matter,
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