#SosFaunaCat: more resources to avoid deaths in spring and summer in Catalonia
El problema
#SosFaunaCat: more resources to avoid deaths in spring and summer in Catalonia
During spring and summer, fauna emergencies multiply, and especially many offspring of protected species fall prematurely from the nest.
And how does the Generalitat de Catalunya react? Ordering the Rural Agents not to collect animals in the province of Barcelona and in the Solsonès region. A few years ago, an agreement was established with authorized veterinary centers for the first medical care of these animals. And this summer (late and in an improvised way) it hires for the transportation from the veterinary facilities to the wildlife recovery center (CRF); two vans... for the most populated area of Catalonia!
In recent years, public resources devoted to the environment have decreased disproportionately compared to other items. The number of Rural Agents has declined alarmingly, with a totally insufficient figure, especially in the most populated areas such as the metropolitan area. No new positions have been announced for about 10 years and the retirements have not been replaced until recently (late and in a sloppy way). The Torreferrussa Wildlife Recovery Center (Sta. Perpètua de la Moguda), which is the reference center of the province of Barcelona for birds and mammals, is completely overflowing. It is urgent to provide resources to this center as well as to the rest of the centers and create new ones, if necessary.
But this spring-summer the problem has been aggravated by a series of draconian measures.
The Rural Agents, following the orders of their General Directionate, can only collect from the environment strictly animals in danger of extinction or that pose a potential risk to public health.
And what happens now with swifts, swallows, bee-eaters, hedgehogs, etc.? They are also protected by the Law but do not deserve the same attention?
Historically one of the functions of the Rural Agents has been the collection of protected species in Catalonia, and their transfer to the different Wildlife Recovery Centers. This is not merely a “transporter's job”, as it might seem, but it provides the Rural Agents Body with contact with the citizens and collaborating veterinary centers, which often allows them to detect situations of mistreatment, illegal breeding, poisoning, electrocutions, or other problems that may affect wildlife or pets.
The veterinary clinics that have an agreement with the Generalitat have assumed the first veterinary attention of the animals, but do not give to the supply to keep alive the large number of animals (sometimes they spend many days until they move). There are only two vans with external personnel and we do not know how the transfer is carried out and, therefore, if the legal regulations are being complied by the Public Administration.
Many animals have died while you are reading this, simply because of the lack of resources and political will, which relegates nature to the last of the priorities. It is a lack of respect for all individuals who are collecting injured fauna or fauna that deserves attention and taking it to the veterinary centers with the best will (sometimes traveling many kilometers).
Is this the country we want? A country that does not care for and protects the other species with which we share the territory, especially those strictly protected by our own legislation?
We ask for a serious change in the current fauna collection and rescue policy, which guarantees the survival of the maximum possible number of specimens. And that is why it is necessary for the Generalitat de Catalunya to allocate the necessary budget to properly attend the collection and rescue of fauna, and, at the same time, the Rural Agents should once again be in charge of this important function.
DEPANA, with the support of AGRUPACIÓ D'AGENTS RURALS DE CCOO and ASPARC, Associació Professional d’Agents Rurals de Catalunya.
El problema
#SosFaunaCat: more resources to avoid deaths in spring and summer in Catalonia
During spring and summer, fauna emergencies multiply, and especially many offspring of protected species fall prematurely from the nest.
And how does the Generalitat de Catalunya react? Ordering the Rural Agents not to collect animals in the province of Barcelona and in the Solsonès region. A few years ago, an agreement was established with authorized veterinary centers for the first medical care of these animals. And this summer (late and in an improvised way) it hires for the transportation from the veterinary facilities to the wildlife recovery center (CRF); two vans... for the most populated area of Catalonia!
In recent years, public resources devoted to the environment have decreased disproportionately compared to other items. The number of Rural Agents has declined alarmingly, with a totally insufficient figure, especially in the most populated areas such as the metropolitan area. No new positions have been announced for about 10 years and the retirements have not been replaced until recently (late and in a sloppy way). The Torreferrussa Wildlife Recovery Center (Sta. Perpètua de la Moguda), which is the reference center of the province of Barcelona for birds and mammals, is completely overflowing. It is urgent to provide resources to this center as well as to the rest of the centers and create new ones, if necessary.
But this spring-summer the problem has been aggravated by a series of draconian measures.
The Rural Agents, following the orders of their General Directionate, can only collect from the environment strictly animals in danger of extinction or that pose a potential risk to public health.
And what happens now with swifts, swallows, bee-eaters, hedgehogs, etc.? They are also protected by the Law but do not deserve the same attention?
Historically one of the functions of the Rural Agents has been the collection of protected species in Catalonia, and their transfer to the different Wildlife Recovery Centers. This is not merely a “transporter's job”, as it might seem, but it provides the Rural Agents Body with contact with the citizens and collaborating veterinary centers, which often allows them to detect situations of mistreatment, illegal breeding, poisoning, electrocutions, or other problems that may affect wildlife or pets.
The veterinary clinics that have an agreement with the Generalitat have assumed the first veterinary attention of the animals, but do not give to the supply to keep alive the large number of animals (sometimes they spend many days until they move). There are only two vans with external personnel and we do not know how the transfer is carried out and, therefore, if the legal regulations are being complied by the Public Administration.
Many animals have died while you are reading this, simply because of the lack of resources and political will, which relegates nature to the last of the priorities. It is a lack of respect for all individuals who are collecting injured fauna or fauna that deserves attention and taking it to the veterinary centers with the best will (sometimes traveling many kilometers).
Is this the country we want? A country that does not care for and protects the other species with which we share the territory, especially those strictly protected by our own legislation?
We ask for a serious change in the current fauna collection and rescue policy, which guarantees the survival of the maximum possible number of specimens. And that is why it is necessary for the Generalitat de Catalunya to allocate the necessary budget to properly attend the collection and rescue of fauna, and, at the same time, the Rural Agents should once again be in charge of this important function.
DEPANA, with the support of AGRUPACIÓ D'AGENTS RURALS DE CCOO and ASPARC, Associació Professional d’Agents Rurals de Catalunya.
Los destinatarios de la petición
Actualizaciones de la petición
Compartir esta petición
Petición creada en 30 de agosto de 2018