Actions by the Police and the Game and Wildlife Service between September 10 and November 25 led to the conviction of 55 suspects and the imposition of fines of €239 thousand for bird poaching, the Committee Against Animal Slaughter (CABS) said in a statement today.
According to the NGO, during this period, two to four teams, consisting of experienced participants and environmentalists from all over Europe, operated in the field daily, with their main mission to identify and report active traps, as well as to assist the authorities in identifying the perpetrators and releasing all protected birds that were still alive in the traps.
It is added that together with police officers and game wardens of the Game and Fauna Service, environmentalists conducted a total of 75 joint operations that led to the successful conviction of 55 men, 35 trappers and 20 hunters, who were found to be violating hunting regulations.
As reported, during the operations, 1.547 nets, 137 nets and 89 electronic bird attractors were seized or destroyed, while CABS members also helped authorities successfully release 1.286 live birds found trapped in nets or stuck in nets, including hundreds of protected black-capped chickadees, the main target of local poachers, as well as birds from 22 other protected species, such as warblers, nightingales, grebes and shrike.
The total amount of all fines imposed by the authorities against suspects identified from CABS complaints this autumn amounts to €239.770, it is noted.
In closing, CABS expresses its satisfaction with the Police and Game Wardens for their cooperation and immediate response following the complaints received, adding that this year a strong message was sent to all poachers that "no one is above the law and those arrested must face the consequences of their actions."
Source: KYPE
