Finches for sale in Palermo
18 March 2018
Carabinieri officers from Palermo have carried out yet another raid in the market of Ballarò. Three people have been reported for receiving and holding protected wildlife and 30 finches, mainly Goldfinches and Greenfinches were seized. All the birds were held in very poor hygienic conditions and after the seizure, the animals were inspected by the veterinarians of the A.S.P. and then released to the Parco della Favorita.
“We thank all the men involved in the anti-poaching operation in Ballarò”, said Giovanni Cumbo, Delegate of LIPU, Palermo. “The last blitz was made just two months ago. These periodic operations are very important, in this way the illegal sellers do not feel secure in their square. We hope the times have passed when every Sunday hundreds of finches and other wild animals were sold in the open, and among these, many specimens belonging to rare species. We hope that we continue with this strategy, perhaps with more frequent raids and also looking for the captive warehouses, since it is probable that only a fraction of the finches will be brought to Ballarò. These small birds are often not in the forefront from the conservation point of view but we remember that goldfinches, greenfinches and similar small birds belong to species protected by the Birds Directive. Ballarò has now become the largest wildlife market in Italy “. LIPU continues its work to patrol the market and report offenders and has full confidence in the police.
