Operation EASTER launched for 2023 – stopping egg thieves and egg collectors - National Wildlife Crime Unit
Operation EASTER ~ 26 years of stopping egg thieves and egg collectors
The national enforcement campaign to protect our nesting wild birds is underway for 2023.
Egg thieves will go to any lengths to raid the nests of rare wild birds. Operation EASTER is determined to stop them in their tracks.
The taking of wild bird eggs is a serious crime yet it remains an illicit hobby for some determined individuals. Whole clutches of eggs can be taken from some of the UK’s rarest birds with potentially devastating impacts. The eggs are stored in secret collections.
Detective Inspector Mark Harrison from the UK NWCU says: “Operation Easter has stood for over a quarter century and this is a vital piece of police work that could easily go overlooked. This year we are stepping up our attempts to protect the UK’s rarest birds of prey from would be thieves as we have seen the increase in wild taken chicks and eggs that have entered the legitimate falconry industry. This criminality causes us some concern for the ongoing nature status of some of the world’s most iconic birds of prey. The NWCU co-ordinate the policing response, ensuring dedicated Police Wildlife Crime Officers from the participating UK police forces receive an up to date intelligence briefing, problem solving plans and access to specialist investigators from the NWCU. As always, the success of this operation relies on the public who are our eyes and ears and our key partners who raise the profile of such crimes to keep them a priority for UK wildlife crime policing”.
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Posted On: 04/04/2023