CAMPAIGN FOR THE PROTECTION OF SMALL WILD CARNIVORES IN WALLONIA
(BELGIUM)
The minister responsible for hunting, agriculture and the countryside in
Walloonia, José Happart, is planning legislative measures which would wipe
out whole populations of wild carnivores and pose a threat to birds and
other wild life through uncontrolled and random poaching !
Use your influence against this wanton and unnecessary slaughter and support
those concerned with the conservation of a balanced wildlife population in
Belgium!
The council of ministers has adopted the first draft of a decree to permit
the killing of some species of 'game'. This new project would permit the
killing of foxes, stone marten and polecat anywhere in the Walloon region;
previously this was authorised only in open countryside.
The decree would also allow the destruction of carnivores "in the interest
of public health and public safety" the whole year round, by day or by
night, and the use of light sources to facilitate shooting.
This would let poaching of birds and mammals go unchecked and is totally
unacceptable!!!
Several nature protection associations are mobilising to fight for the
repeal of this decree; and to increase public awareness by launching a
campaign for the protection of small wild carnivores in Wallonia.
Our Proact Partner in Belgium <http://www.aves.be/carnivores > has asked for
our support in this matter - and for us to give publicity to their campaign.
We are responding by launching the first in a series of mini-Proact
initiatives in support of local wildlife causes.
The details of the campaign ? and how you can participate ? are at:
http://www.proactnow.org/localcampaigns/id10.html (Wallonia)
LETTER TO THE MINISTER FOR HUNTING; AGRICULTURE AND THE COUNTRYSIDE FOR
WALLONIA
Copy the text below - or use your own text - and send to:
mail to the Minister and others
[Copy and paste and send email to] ;
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We say NO to the wanton slaughter of small wild carnivores in Wallonia
To M Minister José Happart
Dear Minister,
We have been informed of your plan to have a decree allowing the destruction
of several wild carnivore species (polecat, stone marten, fox) adopted by
the Walloon government. This proposed legislation is justified by the false
and misleading pretext that these 'harmful' animals pose an predation threat
to other fauna and to ecosystems - with negative effects on their
sustainability.
We cannot accept the fact that the destruction of these mammals, unsupported
by any form of valid scientific evidence, should be permitted. The actual
causes of small game decrease, and appropriate measures to combat them,
would thus be ignored and the small predators and their necessary natural
function used as a scapegoat. On the contrary, the introduction of such
measures would be harmful for the regional fauna and biodiversity in
general; and would present the external public image of Wallonia in a
negative environmental light.
We support the campaign for the protection of small wild carnivores in
Wallonia (Belgium). In particular we condemn your proposed plans to permit
the shooting of foxes at night using light sources; and the wanton and
unnecessary destruction of other small wild carnivores (polecat, stone
marten). Predators and carnivores play an essential role in natural
ecosystems.
We hope that you will have the courage and foresight to retract such
proposed legislation and use your office to promote a genuine and rational
environmental policy for and in your region.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address)
© Proact 2002
David
--
David Conlin
Proact, campaigning for birds and their habitats .... joining costs
nothing...doing nothing costs birds!
Join in at < www.proactnow.org/team > - and get 'Keep Birds Free' as a
bonus!
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