site.btaEnvironmentalists Hold Protest to Urge Stricter Penalties for Killing Protected Species
Environmentalists protested in front of the Palace of Justice in Sofia on Wednesday. They called for more effective enforcement of wildlife protection laws, stricter penalties for the killing of protected species, and the criminalization of the use of poisoned bait in the wild. The demonstration held under the slogan "Poison kills. Inaction does too" was organized by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB).
Referring to a case from August, Dr Stoyan Nikolov of the BSPB said: "We insist that the court impose the harshest possible sentence on the perpetrator who poisoned the eight vultures. This cannot go unpunished." He stated that if poisoning wildlife were to be reclassified as more serious in the Penal Code and carries harsher criminal penalties, then the Interior Ministry would be able to do its job more effectively. This would allow for more resources to be allocated to investigating the crime.
The Ministry of Environment and Water, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency share responsibility for enforcement, but despite their efforts, the poisoning of wild animals remains a widespread practice, Nikolov noted. He said that such crimes occur every year, with the latest case being just the tip of the iceberg. The scientist said: "The problem with poisons is that they are a non-selective method. There is no control over who the victim will be. This can also pose a risk to human health. The poisons are not immediately absorbed but remain in the soil after the carcass decomposes, where mushrooms may eventually grow."
A rally under the same slogan was also held in Plovdiv, South Central Bulgaria.
After Lalyo Bichev was detained and accused of poisoning eight vultures, the District Court in Plovdiv set a bail of EUR 3,000 for him. Bichev allegedly placed a type of poison that is banned for use in the EU inside a cow carcass.
In late August, the Environment Ministry held a working meeting with other institutions to discuss measures to prevent and investigate the illegal use of poison and poisoned bait in the wild.
/RD/
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