This week, eight environmental protection associations sent a complaint to the European Commission, warning of the “exceptional” culling of wood pigeons that for 12 consecutive years has brought the species to the brink of extinction, as the Madeira Wood Pigeon, does not exist anywhere else in the world and that the slaughter of said bird is a violation of European legislation.
In the complaint, the environmental organizations (SPEA, ANP|WWF, GEOTA, FAPAS, LPN, Quercus, SPECO, and ZERO) point out that the culling is due to its size and the damage it can do to crops. Therefore, the slaughter breaches the Birds Directive of the European Union, which classifies wood pigeons as a protected species.
After 12 years without satisfactory answers from the Regional Administration and with no end in sight for the decimation of an endangered species, the eight environmental associations state they were forced to report the problem to the European Commission.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weeky.com
Photo: JM
