The Guardia Civil of the Region of Murcia has developed an investigation to pursue poaching in Lorca, which has resulted in the investigation of a person who was caught while catching finches with a net, according to sources of the Benemérita in a statement.
During the action, carried out by specialists from the Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA), the civil guards recovered and released six goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis) and seized the capture gear and the three goldfinches used for the illicit activity that has now been clarified.
In the framework of the devices established to pursue poaching, the Guardia Civil opened an investigation when it detected that in a place in the municipality of Lorca an illegal activity of this type could be taking place.
It was a SEPRONA patrol that found in the El Rincón del Molino-El Garrobillo area, in the municipality of Lorca, a simple double-blanket net with remote control, strategically placed, apparently for hunting fringed birds.
In view of the discovery, the civil guards established a surveillance device in the area, with the aim of identifying the person who had installed the illegal hunting equipment and who was allegedly behind the poaching of birds.
The surveillance device bore fruit shortly afterwards, when the SEPRONA troops detected a person in the vicinity of the net. The civil guards immediately moved to the site from their discreet surveillance point and surprised a man who had installed a double-blanket net measuring 3 metres long by 1.5 metres wide, which was operated remotely by means of a rope.
Next to the net and in the surrounding area were strategically placed three cage traps and several goldfinches as a lure with cimbels, with food around them to attract the fringed birds that were in the wild and to be able to capture them with the aforementioned net, these being prohibited hunting methods. In addition, the Civil Guards also found six young goldfinches at the site, which had just been captured and were released.
The operation culminated in the identification and investigation of the suspect, who was charged with an offence relating to the protection of flora, fauna and domestic animals, for using prohibited gear for hunting fringed birds.
The Benemérita seized the illegal hunting gear and the three goldfinches used as a lure. The latter have been handed over to the Wildlife Recovery Centre of “El Valle” in Murcia.
The proceedings, the seized hunting gear and the seized birds have been handed over to the Court of Instruction in Lorca (Murcia).
WILDLIFE
The Guardia Civil has reminded us that silvestrism is the hobby of capturing and caring in captivity for certain birds of the fringilid family, such as goldfinches, to train them to sing.
At present, the capture of these species in the wild is not allowed. In order to encourage the recovery of the wild population of fringillid birds, there are legal provisions that regulate and promote captive breeding.
The Penal Code, in its article on offences relating to the protection of flora and fauna, establishes penalties of imprisonment of 6 months to 2 years or a fine of 8 to 24 months and, in any case, special disqualification for a profession or trade and special disqualification for the exercise of the right to hunt or fish for a period of one to three years.
