Milano, fight against poaching: 81 larks, a rifle and an electric decoy were seized

The CITES Core of Milano and the Magenta Forest Carabinieri Station carried out a series of checks on lowland hunting. The CITES Unit is the specialized unit of the Forestry Carabinieri, responsible for the protection of animals and plants, in compliance with national and international protection regulations. In this case it was used to strengthen the intervention of the Station territorially most affected by the action to combat violations of hunting regulations.

There were about ten checks carried out. At the end of them, five people were reported to the Public Prosecutor's Office of Busto Arsizio, Milano and Pavia, responsible for the various territories where it operated. The facts were ascertained in the municipalities of Albairate, Arconate and Cuggiono. 

The people reported are two people resident in the province of Bergamo, two in the province of Brescia and one in Milano.

In total, 81 skylarks were seized and used illegally as live decoys. These are passerines, used as decoys for hunting specimens of the same species. They were seized as they had non-compliant or counterfeit identification rings. The animals will be entrusted to suitable recovery centers as soon as possible. In one case, a hunting rifle and an electronic bird decoy were also seized, as they are prohibited for hunting.

All the seizures, of the larks, of the weapon and of the prohibited means of hunting, were validated by the respective Public Prosecutor's Offices.

The months of October and November are those of greatest interest for hunting in the plains. The use of illegal live decoys, marked with counterfeit or non-compliant rings, is one of the most frequent violations. The use of electronic calls also constitutes a violation not infrequently found during hunting checks. These are all behaviors prohibited by current legislation for the protection of fauna, which by law is an unavailable patrimony of the State.

The action of the Forestry Carabinieri is always oriented towards ensuring full compliance with the law. These checks also have the aim of ensuring that the legitimate exercise of hunting activity is carried out in compliance with the rules of hunting legislation, protection of fauna and animal welfare.

The strong commitment of the Forestry Carabinieri will continue throughout the rest of the hunting season with the aim of preventing and repressing any form of violation of the hunting law and safeguarding the natural heritage.