This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Chris Packham, the naturalist and TV presenter, has said it is “disgusting and disappointing” that the UK’s wildlife crime agency faces closure in six weeks unless the government renews its funding.

The national wildlife crime unit (NWCU) was established in 2006 to investigate offences including rare-bird egg theft, deer poaching, the trade in endangered species, hare coursing, illegal taxidermy and cruelty to wild animals.

George Osborne’s spending review, announced in November, did not confirm government funding for the agency beyond the end of March and it is now expected to close within weeks.

The body, which receives the bulk of its funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Home Office, was told shortly before Christmas that a decision would be made about its future before the end of January – but it still hasn’t heard anything.

“[This is] a specifically trained, unique and dedicated branch of the police force [which is] able to respond to an increasing range of crimes [in its attempt] to implement the law of the land,” said Packham.

The BBC broadcaster said: “They are thus invaluable if we have any desire to protect our wildlife and countryside. Given the [financial] saving, one can only imagine there are ulterior motives to scrapping their funding. It’s frankly disappointing and disgusting that we face this situation.”

Ch Insp Martin Sims, head of the NWCU, said that the closure of the unit would lead to the vast majority of wildlife crime going undetected. “We are by far the cheapest option for policing across the UK in terms of support to wildlife crime,” he said.

Sims said the closure of the unit would mean there wouldn’t be sufficient UK infrastructure to gather intelligence on wildlife crimes.

Josh Kaile, head of public affairs at World Animal Protection UK, said: “Not only is this a slap in the face to the hard-working staff in the NWCU but it makes you wonder whether our government cares at all about our wildlife.”



The government risks undercutting its leadership on wildlife issues, according to one of the world’s foremost trackers of the wildlife trade.

Steven Broad, executive director of Traffic, said: “The UK government has shown commendable leadership to date in the international efforts to curb wildlife trafficking – it would appear very odd indeed if support for much-needed actions against wildlife crime at home were then undercut.”



WWF echoed Traffic, saying the government had done good work internationally but needed to “walk the talk” at home too. Heather Sohl, the group’s chief adviser on wildlife, said: “Rather than pulling the rug from under the unit that is vital to effectively tackle this criminal activity, the UK government should strengthen its stance and secure the NWCU’s long term future.”

William Hague organised and hosted a summit on illegal wildlife trade in London two years ago, leading 46 nations to agree on a declaration addressing the problem.



The Conservatives also promised in their manifesto last year to continue to tackle the issue: “We … will continue to lead the world in stopping the poaching that kills thousands of rhinos, elephants and tigers each year.”



A government source said a decision would be made very soon, while a spokesperson said: “The UK government is leading the global response to tackling illegal wildlife crime, funding practical action in developing countries through our illegal wildlife trade challenge fund, supporting anti-poaching projects and working with our African partners to improve the security of their parks.

“The national wildlife crime unit plays an important role in tackling wildlife law enforcement both at home and internationally.

Kaile said that without the 12-strong team in place, the government would be giving criminals “free rein to poach, bait, shoot, trap, smuggle, torment and exploit British wildlife however they like”.

Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrats, urged the government to save the unit from “extinction”. “Failing to support the unit will send a message about how little the government cares about protecting the environment,” he said.

The Green party’s MP, Caroline Lucas, said that the loss of “the world-leading expertise of this unit” was likely to result in a fall in the number of wildlife crimes being successfully investigated and prosecuted.

“This unit needs long-term sustainable funding so that it can concentrate on the crucial work it does,” she said. “The government must now offer a serious commitment to this unit and banish the shadow of financial uncertainty that has been lingering for far too long.”

The Wildlife and Countryside Link, which represents 47 groups including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the National Trust and Campaign to Protect Rural England, recently warned that the UK would risk failing to meet its international commitments if the unit closed.

“If the unit is disbanded, a huge number of wildlife crime cases will never be successfully investigated or prosecuted, and it will prove far more difficult for the UK to meet its national and international commitments to tackle wildlife crime,” it said in a statement.

Around 7,000 people have signed a petition calling for the government to continue funding the agency.