2023-12-14 16:00:00
Illegal releases of birds have been formally certified by the VRT, despite the difficulties in certifying this practice which is not without consequences on biodiversity.
©BelgaImage
A few weeks ago, at nightfall, the investigative magazine “Pano” by VRT received an urgent call from a team of nature inspectorates in Flanders. They suspected a group of hunters of illegally releasing animals and invited journalists to go to the field to catch them in the act. An invitation accepted and which resulted in the confirmation of these fears. Two men were indeed releasing pheasants, in defiance of the law. Undeniable proof that this practice is indeed real, but which is very difficult to obtain because you have to be in the right place at the right time, hence a lack of documentation on the subject. A cross-checking of evidence nevertheless tends to show that this practice would be quite broad and concerns both Flanders and Wallonia.
More massive releases than it seems?
As noted by the Flemish Nature and Forestry Agency, this is the sixth time in 2023 that such an offense has been spotted in the region, with a sanction involved. By investigating the subject, “Pano” for example spotted a release of 300 ducks in Limburg. But in the case documented by the program with the pheasants, not only does it turn out that the culprits intended to hunt these birds on the same day, but it is also not just anyone. These two men belong to a WBE (a Flemish hunting organization) linked to the spokesperson for the Hubertus association, the largest hunting interest group in Flanders. When questioned, Flemish Minister of Nature Zuhal Demir (N-VA) strongly condemned this illegal release.
In Wallonia, RTBF’s Investigation magazine also looked into the subject. In this case, several elements show that the phenomenon also occurs in the south of the country. The program notes, among other things, that DNA samples taken from wild boars in Belgium show that they actually come from other countries: Germany, France and even Poland. Thus, the RTBF affirms that 6% of Walloon wild boars are “foreigners” and from illegal imports. This phenomenon could even be responsible for the arrival of swine fever in Wallonia. But here too, the testimonies collected by public television show that it is complicated to catch the culprits in the act and to prove by a+b what is the identity of those responsible.
What impact on nature?
For biologist Frederik Thoelen, interviewed by the VRT, these illegal releases are not without consequences: disruption of biodiversity, contamination of rivers by the droppings of released animals (which are themselves sometimes treated with antibiotics), unwanted crossings with the genetic heritage of wild populations, etc.
Pauline Legrand, of the LRBPO (Royal Belgian League for the Protection of Birds), also denounces the DH the impact of this practice, whether legal or not, on the number of predators, such as foxes, which can multiply thanks to such a supply of prey. For her, it is impossible to say that biodiversity would benefit. A study published in the journal Faune Sauvage attests in this sense that “massive releases of farmed gray partridges would have contributed to the disappearance of the genetic fingerprint characteristic of gray partridge endemic to Italy“, notes the daily.
In the case of birds, Benoît Petit, of the Royal Saint-Hubert Club of Belgium, explains for his part to the DH that releases are done according to the rules, until August 15 and without hunting before October 1, then especially by with immediate firing after release. According to him, hunters contribute “to the renewal of a ravaged plain biotope“and only 30% of the released birds would be shot.”We have a positive role. All we want is a helping hand“, he maintains.
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