Birds found in Montpellier -
OFB 34
A traffic of protected birds was dismantled by the agents of the French Office for the biodiversity of Hérault and the police officers, Wednesday, in Montpellier (Hérault): the two suspects, implicated in this case, were simultaneously monitored by some for suspicion of bird captures, and by others for alleged thefts from homes.
In the suspects' lodgings, the equipment necessary to capture birds with glue, and five dead birds were found in a freezer.
However, the intervention made it possible to save eleven goldfinches and a cini canary.
Trapped in nests
According to the information provided by the French Biodiversity Office, the two individuals are suspected of having captured goldfinches in nests or on natural feeding areas, "by trapping them on reed stems covered with glue".
Investigators also suspect illegal trade in these birds.
The European goldfinch is a protected species which, since the 2000s, has seen its numbers drop by more than 50%.
The species is therefore classified as endangered on the red list of breeding birds in France.
"Prized for their beauty and their rich and melodious song, goldfinches are the object of a real traffic in France, each bird captured in the wild can be resold (completely illegally) between 50 and 1,000 euros per specimen", continues the French Office for Biodiversity of Hérault.
The penalty for the capture, possession and trade of protected species is 3 years in prison and a fine of 150,000 euros.
Justice
Var: A man tried for bird trafficking estimated at 100,000 euros
Justice
Hautes-Pyrénées: A butterfly collector sentenced for possession of protected species
Miscellaneous
Languedoc-Roussillon
Animals
Bird
Montpellier
Threatened species