Final court hearing
Newsletter 12/09/2016
Almost 4 years ago, on October 13 2012, the female Northern Bald Ibis “GOJA” was on the way to the wintering area in the southern Tuscany, followed by her offspring “JEDI”. In the province Livorno, just 80 km apart from the wintering site, both birds were shot by a hunter which had the licence to hunt on woodpigeons. Now, on September 13 2016, the final hearing in this case takes place in Livorno. The moral and material damage is assessed at € 20,000.
Soon after the accident Anne-Gabriela Schmalstieg arrived on the place in the province of Livorno: “First, I found the juvenile JEDI, alive, creeping on the floor, heavily bleeding. Soon after, I found GOJA, also heavily bleeding and lying on the ground. I tried to do my best to help the two birds, but I could not avoid that GOJA died in my arms. For me this was a tragedy, I felt like losing a friend.” Also JEDI died soon after in a Veterinary Center in Livorno (CRUMA).
The case of GOJA and JEDI is the first and, so far, the only case where the hunter could be identified. Therefore, this case is of particular relevance for our project. We are very hopeful that the hunter will be convicted due to the compelling evidence of his guilt. Poaching is not a trivial matter but a serious threat to the reintroduced Northern Bald Ibises and other endangered migratory species. We particularly thank our lawyer Mrs. Carla Campanaro and the Provincial Police of Livorno for their engagement in this case.
In 2015, the European Commission stated that they are deeply concerned that poaching in Italy seriously affects the objectives and results of this LIFE+ project. The European Commission therefore follows this lawsuit with high interest.
Recently, a new case of poaching on a specimen of this highly endangered bird species is indicated, again in the Tuscany. In September 2016, the subadult Northern Bald Ibis KATO was found dead in a field near Punta Ala (province Grosseto). The GPS data indicate that he died on September 1, the first day of bird hunting in the Tuscany. A first X-ray indicates pellets in the body, but the veterinary examination is still ongoing.
Thus, illegal hunting is still a major threat for our birds. Meanwhile, we could establish collaborations with main hunting associations in Italy, namely Federazione Italiana Della Caccia, where the identified poacher belongs to. In our view, poachers seriously damage the international reputation of Italy and of the Italian hunters in particular. Thus, conviction of the poacher in the ongoing lawsuit should also be in the central interest of the hunter’s community.
Picture (Anne-Gabriela Schmalstieg): Juvenile Northern Bald Ibis flying; all birds can be tracked via GPS devices on their backs.
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