Mark Thomas, head of investigations at the RSPB, said: “One of the many issues here is illegal bird of prey persecution.
“A significant proportion of these incidents happen on or near land associated with gamebird shooting.
“This level of illegal persecution is unacceptable and highlights the urgent need for tighter controls.
“Introducing a licensing system in England would be a long-overdue step.”
Friends of the Dales’ petition, which is addressed to the minister for nature, states: “Introducing sentencing guidelines with meaningful fines and ensuring the appropriate use of custodial sentences would send a clear message that the criminal killing of birds of prey is being treated as a serious crime.”
The petition also wants a national database of wildlife crime to be created which the group said would “enable police forces, land managers and conservation bodies to identify trends, focus resources and coordinate action across regions”.