BRACING: ASSOCIATIONS CHANGE THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURAL POLICIES MORE CONTROLS
"We are disconcerted, ending now the activity to combat poaching in the woods of Brescia means delivering tens of thousands of birds into the hands of poachers".
In a letter sent to the Minister of Agricultural and Forestry Policies Luca Zaia and to the Commander of the State Forestry Corps Cesare Patrone, the associations ENPA, Fare Verde, LAC, LAV, Legambiente, LIPU-BirdLife Italia and WWF Italy request that the anti-poaching operation Pettirosso does not stop on Friday 23 October
, but that it continues until the end of the migratory period to guarantee an effective fight against illegal hunting in the province of Brescia, where every year a massacre of small protected birds takes place.
”The Operation Robin, implemented by the NOA (Nucleo Operativo Antipoacconaggio) of the State Forestry Corps - the associations write - had already been shortened by a week compared to last year, passing this year from 5 to 4 weeks. Ending now a further week early, while thousands of small migrating birds cross the valleys of Brescia, means that tens of thousands of them will fall victim to poachers next week, who will catch them with nets, traps and traps ".
"Thanks to the constant action of the State Forestry Corps - the associations continue - the phenomenon of poaching has experienced a decisive reduction in the Brescia area without however ceasing to represent a danger for the migrating fauna: this is demonstrated by the over 70 reports of crime transmitted up to to date to the Public Prosecutor's Office and the more than 120 poachers reported during the Pettirosso operation last year ”.
"We therefore ask Minister Zaia - the associations conclude - to guarantee the continuation of the Pettirosso Operation by the Anti-Poaching Operational Unit of the State Forestry Corps until the end of the migratory pass period as in previous years, in order to ensure compliance of legality and the protection of fauna ".
Source: ASCA