Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

We have now formally sent our latest post (including links to our 2 earlier posts on bird hunting to the EU Enlargement Commission.  Here is the latest link dated 18/8.

The EU read receipt is as follows:

Your message 

 To: JANZEN Jan (CAB-HAHN)
Subject: EU fails EU citizens on Serbia
Sent: 19 August 2015 14:16:03 (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris

was read on 19 August 2015 16:19:28 (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris.

So now we are formally recording all the information and photographs onto this site so that we have evidence and proof that things have been published; and we can then go back to the EU Parliament (MEP’s) and ask what actually is the EU Enlargement Commission doing in Serbia apart from handing them millions and millions of EU taxpayers money, with, certainly in the case of animal welfare; very little to show in return.

We are EU citizens (UK, Austria etc) and we request action from the Enlargement Commission regarding the ‘rule of law’ enforcement by / in Serbia.

Look please at the following report of today – 19/8/15.

What are the Serbian police doing ? – are they not upholders of the Serbian laws ? – and yet with regard animal welfare issues they always appear to turn the other way.

And the EU dictates that all new member states seeking EU membership must be seen to enforce the ‘rule of law’  – are we wrong or is this what the EU says ? – check it out on the following:

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/policy/policy-highlights/rule-of-law/index_en.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/justice/events/assises-justice-2013/rule_of_law_en.htm

We ask – ‘where is the (EU) rule of law being enforced in Serbia if even the  Serbian police (supposed upholders of the law ?) do NOT appear to be capable based on the evidence we present ?’ – this leads one to think that Serbia is NOT enforcing its own rules of law / legislation; and so is NOT a worthy contender for EU membership; despite the EU Enlargement Commission handing over million upon million of EU taxpaying citizens money !! – what an enormous joke !

So here following is the latest news about the bird issue from today (19/8/2015); which again we are formally recording as a post on this site, and which will form a series to be presented to the EU Members of Parliament (MEP’s) when they return in September.

As for the Enlargement Commission; ?? – will they carry on being like the Serbian police – turning a blind eye to all the evidence presented ?

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Hi Mark,                                                          19/8/2015.

Before moving on excessive harvesting of birds, there is still illegal ways of catching wild birds.

In this case, the capture of prohibited tools, sticks coated with glue, cages with live birds as bait, decoys that have voice other birds, capturing birds in order to sell …. everything is forbidden by both national laws and International Conventions to which Serbia has accepted, signed and have been ratified in the Serbian parliament, the law on accepting the Berne, Bonn, CITES Conventions, the Directive on the protection of wild birds, etc ..

The event is from August 18, 2013, Southern Serbia, Sveta Petka, near Klenike, Bujanovac municipality.

Tipped off by locals that at that location every day, day by day,  2 weeks,  2 man  catch goldfinch.  Our colleagues from the Green Network Pcinja districts went out into the field and see what it does, call the police and inspections that took to the field. One of the criminals escaped and the other remained, and were photographed his car brands Audi, registration VR 011 YR. His name was Mitrovic Nebojsa.

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On the spot, they found the 3 cages with live birds that serve as decoys. Sticks that you see in the pictures, the trees were coated with glue, and if stick catches another species that they do not need, it is killed and thrown away. See also a monstrous scene, the goldfinch is probably still alive when taken off the glue and pinned onto the top of the tree, as it stands there and looks injured birds attracts the others birds.

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In addition to sticks and surrounding plants that prefer to land goldfinch, spread with the glue.  They using glue for mouse and rats, from which very hard to remove birds, because gentle and thin legs and soft feathers that stick to stick.

So we do not have to go to Lebanon, Malta and Cyprus, we all have in Serbia, but for too long not talking about it.   Silence, because they are all connected in the chain of illegal trade in wild birds which brings large profits and any investment.

While an investigation was underway, the police and inspections, we immediately asked to carry out a search of the house and yard Mitrovic Nebojsa from Vranje and another man who escaped, but the police and inspections did not want it to do, and we had a tip that both cellars full of  birds are captured in this way.

The second man escaped because he received permission from the Ministry for keeping the bird and after a few months when, on our inspection report went with him, they found about 20 goldfinch and reported a 6, but he said that they had hatched, although no have rings.. For inspection, it is was considered OK!

We’re still not received an answer what happened to Nebojsa Mitrovic regarding the capture of birds because, being caught on the spot with all the gear for catching birds are caught and dead birds that he did not need but are adhered to and killed them.

We have a case of catching bird with netting, police not found these faces and even birds. It’s about the Police Department Nis.

According to the provisions of the Cites Convention, no wild species that has been acquired in violation of the law of our country, which are certainly all wild birds that have been rounded up in an illegal manner and kept in captivity for trafficking, can not be legally or may be placed on the market, but Serbia ignored the Cites Convention and some permitting holding of such birds.

That’s what they are used by catching birds in nature, birds often get hurt taped, torn them with glue, torn leg, wing, many birds suffer in this way and what is even worse, and the birds appear on sale in public places, for example. stock birds and small animals. Countless applications we filed for such black market of birds, the inspection went but rarely managed to saw a bird which has no place here.

p.s. The special case of the hunters LORIST Fair in Novi Sad, at the end of 2011. where she was the exchange of birds and where the inspection had not seen two ravens, who were on the docks and offered for sale. Raven is in Serbia strictly protected species. After that, we could find out who was selling 2 ravens and where are they?

And this is just one more part of the problem, we have a lot of photos from the stock birds. And it shows that our inspection and the police do not respect the law themselves and even less compliance.

I do not see two ravens, should be blind.

Regards , V.

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, HUNTING - Primarily UK and Germany, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering), SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »

Here is the latest information from Serbia regarding the mass killing and smuggling of birds back to Italy by Italian hunters.

Please see our previous post for further information:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2015/08/13/serbia-italy-the-links-between-hunting-endangered-eu-red-list-birds/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2015/08/18/serbia-recommendation-on-measures-to-protect-wildlife-in-hunting-areas-like-all-serbian-animal-welfare-law-a-complete-mockery-of-reality/

The EU is currently in shutdown during August for annual holidays; but this is now allowing us some time to prepare information and links which will be sent immediately to MEP’s when they return from their holidays.

We have plenty of information and photographs as you can see here and on the other links to fully support our case.  We have direct links with the EU Enlargement Commission who we feel are not doing anything near to what they should be doing re animal welfare in Serbia before it becomes a new member state.  

The information below is virtually as provided and has not been edited in any way.  This and the information in the other links will form the basis of the data we provide to MEP’s and to the EU Enlargement Commission.

As EU taxpayers, we are handing out Billions of Euros (literally) via the Enlargement Commission to ensure that Serbia is supposed to be enforcing the ‘rules of law’ as required for membership of the EU.

The information below and in our other links above clearly shows that the law is NOT being enforced, and that as always; Serbia is giving in to its hunters and police; whilst clearly failing to enforce regulations and laws that are there supposedly to provide some protection to animals – be they birds, stray dogs and cats; farm animals etc.

The EU is doing very little about this new accession member state – we demand action and we demand it NOW !

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Hi Mark,

I send you photos of 01.09.2012. from a place on the streets in Bujanovac, where police stopped two Italians on the second day of hunting in Serbia in the hunting grounds of Hunting Association “Golub” Bujanovac.

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On the first day they killed about 400 to 450 birds, but birds and police did not want to look.

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About this hunt on the first day, according to us hunters who were sickened because Italians make real massacres and then the bodies smuggled into Italy via the links on the border, customs.

Italians Antonio Dalla Libera and Vau Editeo, from Vicenza and had a permit issued by the br.1666 LU.Golub for hunting quail ..

Birds that can be seen in the pictures did not quail, neither game species except one dove.

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In the pictures you can see:

A. Strictly protected species:

Hoopoe, Upupa epops – 1 individual:

Red-backed Shrike, Lanius collurio- 1 female;

Great Tit, Parus major – one individual;

Forest Pipit, Anthus trivialis – 64 individuals

Stonechat, Saxicola torquata – 1 individual

Whitethroat,  Sylvia communis – 1 individual;

Warbler (or birch forest) Phylloscopus sp. (Trochilus – sibilatrix) – 1 individual.
   
B. Protected non-hunting species:

1. Field sparrow, Passer montanus – 14 individuals

2. Starling, Sturnus vulgaris – 2 individuals

C. closed season protected species, for which they had no permit

1. dove Streptopelia turtur – 1 individual

Under the domestic legislation, the value of these birds were all killed in poaching over 15,000 euros. + Penalty, but the Prosecutor’s Office in Vranje did not want to finish the case to the end.  So much for enforcing the ‘rule of law’ that the EU Enlargement Commission demands of the Serbian authorities and government – it is a JOKE !

Regulations on compensation applies for determining the amount of damages caused by illegal action in relation to the strictly protected and protected wild species (“RS Official Gazette”, No. 37/10)./

Hunting rifle the five-no. 561897 is owned by Serbian citizen, Strahinja Nikolic from Leskovac, who now leads the Italians in the hunt in Serbia.

The Jeep, brand ‘Nissan’, registration number LE-037 AP owned by certain Strahinja Nikolic from Leskovac have been found decoys and a large quantity of ammunition in boxes.

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Hunting rifle the five-no. 561897 and Jeep brands of Nisan, as well as everything else is not taken away, as required by law, only the birds were siezed, when submitting the bird warden LU Golub was 88 of birds, see the photo with the numbers of birds, and to find birds after 5 days and on our great insistence and urging, it was 87 birds.

One bird was missing, we assume that it is a rare species, perhaps a young individual crossbill, as seen in the picture on the right, but characteristic beak crossbill, see.

06.09.2012. The inspector said:

“The further control by the OSL PS Bujanovac when you turn the car on the road just some hundred meters from the family home of hunting area was stopped passenger car brands Audi 80 license plates BU 008-LO having Stanojković Dragan where the hunting area is found in the trunk of the same bags with Birds that were the subject of control.

In the presence of the above present officers of the counting of specimens and found that it was 87 dead birds of different birds that are due to poor care already begun to rot.

On that occasion present hunting area manager said that he had forgotten to take out the birds. The birds were confiscated (87 individuals) of Stanojković Dragan issued by the hunting area with a receipt for the same and are placed in cold storage DOO.Razvitak Bujanovac. “

Unbelievable but true !!!

Then continue, we filed a large number of charges to various state bodies, mostly police and Prosecutors as well as complaints about their work.

After more than 2 years we have received the documents from the case where it is revealed that they punished only police officers who are not doing their job, the head of hunting, because she let 2 Italians to hunt without hunting companion, and the driver who was driving them. A symbolic fine of 10,000.00 to 60,000.00 to RSD it to pay in instalments.

About all we have documentation that can scan and submit.

SAV Comment – we aim to be providing this to the EU and the EU Enlargement Commission.

P.S. The affair “Balkans birds” still continues and this is a suspect way in which the crime is still taking place in Serbia and desolation bird fauna, because the first people in the police do not respect the law and the connection is on the verge of releasing the presentation of the slain bird in which the Italians earn huge sums of money, and our local ignorant for petty, personal, short-term interests are destroying the natural wealth of our country.

One of the biggest caught by cases of smuggling of birds killed in Serbia, was caught by customs Slovenia, with 120,000 birds.

Our police said that never heard about the case “Balkans birds”, and there is no investigation, no documentation about it.

http://www.media.ba/bs/istrazivacko-novinarstvo-novinarstvo-novinarstvo/srbija-otvoreni-lov-na-zasticene-vrste

http://www.safariinternational.com/en/small-game/passege-game/267-serbia-quails-and-turtle-doves

Regards, V.

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, HUNTING - Primarily UK and Germany, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering), SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »

Here following is lots of info from Vesna regarding the hunting of Turtle Doves and Quail.  Lots of it is taken by Italian hunters who go into Serbia and then sell the hunted product back to Italian restaurants.  There is little action by the Serbian authorities to prevent it, despite EU restrictions; EU Red Lists on hunted species and huge financial support for Serbia from the EU.

We were asked to do an English version of this data from Vesna but we feel that very little needs to be changed – and also there is a lot to review and amend.  So we are publishing the full data from Vesna.

Extra info on same subject  – Link this in to our recent post on the same subject which can be viewed at  https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2015/08/03/eu-serbia-mass-animal-and-bird-killings-exports-to-the-eu-despite-eu-bans-yet-the-eu-enlargement-commission-does-very-little-despite-the-1-5-billion-euros-given-to-serbia-pre-eu-accession/

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Dear all,

The situation in the whole of Serbia the same, no difference from north to south.

Money that Serbia received from the EU through the IPA funds, EUR 203 million, alone in 2013.  is not known where was spent because the situation in Serbia has not changed much since 2013. And still the executive power does not respect and does not apply the applicable law and not EU legislation in the field of nature, although the domestic Law on Nature Protection registered Article,  to EU legislation has applied in domestic legislation. But this does not apply.

The latest debacle shows that the executive and legislative power have the greatest impact profiteers and tycoons, is passing amendments to the Regulations on closed hunting  season.

In this case, it is for one month, from 28 June 2015 to 29 July 2015 changed 3 times. To the end it turned out that despite the ban handed down turtle dove hunting, can be hunted, and this year, which is a kind of degraded Regulations, turtle dove Streptopelia turtur, which is located on the European Red list of endangered species will be killed this year in Serbia. This was done for the profiteers in the field of hunting, which have ravaged the fauna of Serbia.

In addition, the EU has long been banned all exports of meat of game from Serbia to the EU. (Council Regulalation  No. 338/97 of 9.December 1996 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein) .

In the hunt for turtle doves and quail comes a lot of Italians who will defiance smuggle the corpses of birds in Italy.  One killed the turtle dove here costs 2.5 Euros, and the moment  arrive in Italy, Minimum cost  is 25 Euros, the resale for restaurants, the price reaches over 50 Euros per bird. The same applies to quail, which the European Red List has the status of sparse species.

Quail and turtle doves are species of international importance and in the majority of European countries hunting both species is prohibited.

In Serbia hunt both species begins 01.08. and lasts until 30.09. and that the playing time, ie. raising cubs in August, and September is the time of peak migration of birds from northern Europe, where they are fully protected from hunting. For Serbia fields falling exhausted from a grueling migration, to rest, feed and water, and then in moments of greatest exhaustion flocks, gathering hunters and kills everybody. None flock that was discovered by hunters, occurred on the territory of Serbia, no longer flew.

So protection pursued by the Northern European countries and the money spent in conservation, here, on the territory of Serbia, everything is cancelled, the mass killing of birds in migration.
I forgot to mention that over Serbia, from north to south migratory corridor for Africa, and for birds migrating in Central Asia.

**  In short, Serbia does not respect and do not apply the EU Directive on the conservation of wild birds in 2009 (Directive 2009/147 / EC, 30th November 2009).  As Bern and the Bonn Convention on the conservation of wild fauna and its habitats.  **

Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of quail would not even discuss a turtle dove protect it for 1 month during the closed season or during the hunt is this decision reversed and allow hunting.

Today, 01.08. he began to hunt for turtle doves and quails, with a strong zeal of hunters, they are angry and want to kill as height can, I have no doubt that will happen. This is due to what was first hunting was banned, which led them to anger, and then a few days before the start of hunting, hunting is allowed, and now they will carry out revenge against the poor birds.

In short, the authorities in Serbia wants money from the EU but will not respect its own laws and even less EU legislation. Stakeholders and profiteers continue to tailor policies and legislation in Serbia and it is not, the debacle of turtle doves clearly visible for us.

Authorities in Serbia know that exports of meat of wild animals is prohibited in the EU and know that they will be smuggling corpses of birds in the EU, but do nothing to prevent it, but to make all help to carry out smuggling.

In short, we in Serbia, we can to deal with everything, what is written and Slavica, we need the help of the EU, which is funded and supported by our government.

If, and this can help to improve the text, asylums and abandoned animals is not the only problem, **  no local government does not apply the Law on Veterinary and Animal Welfare Act.  **

I apologize for the bad English, with the help of Google translator and dictionary. I hope you’ll understand.

P.S. Oral vaccination of wild animals is carried out, provided the information and photographs from some areas in Serbia, where people find a vaccine and photographed, the last thing I received photos of the vaccine in reserve Great Bustards/ North Serbia.

There is no longer a local declaration of rabies as earlier worked to hunters killing cats and dogs in the streets or at the periphery of the village.  As well as the massacres of foxes in nature, which they consider to vermin. We still have no evidence that vaccination conducted regularly throughout the territory of Serbia.

Kind Regards – Vesna

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I’m glad you understand this.

This shame of our Ministry and Government who could not protect the turtle dove, to even a month after that, made a different decision and allow hunting on them, and knowing that he is on the Red List, and that is a migratory species, speaks of undue influence on executive power . The Minister can not change policies or laws passed by the Assembly of Serbia.

Especially considering that the hunting lobby has too much influence on executive power, and according to their needs, quail was not even a topic, nor the disaster that befell the whole of Serbia, the Law on wildlife and hunting, is explicitly prohibited hunting. Hunting is started from 01.08. as if nothing is happening.

It all speaks to us about the abuse of power, laziness competent state authorities, who do not do anything, and delay as much as possible, that the hunt is over.

From 01.09. begins hunting of waterfowl which are also very vulnerable due to the disappearance of water mirrors and lack of food, even if daytime temperatures fall, no rain and will need a lot of rain to recover nature and it is the habitat of wild species.

Because of this, our government must make yourself and respect our laws and international treaties, directives on the protection of wild fauna.

About all this, we have to write to the European Commission, the department for the protection of nature and biodiversity, and for that we need excellent English translation.

Mark is our long-time friend, he understands everything we write and understand fully the situation in Serbia.

Also, aid from Germany would be excellent, our government reps in Germany has good friends and the politicians who support them, they should warn them that this is what they are doing is not acceptable to the EU community.

Also, aid from Germany would be excellent, our government in Germany has good friends and the politicians who support them, they should warn them that this is what they are doing is not acceptable to the EU community.

This embarrassment about 3 amending the Regulations on closed hunting season, for the purposes of hunting organizations and lobbyists, must be heard and must be known. This is not and can not be done.

Regards.
Vesna

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In Italy, the hunt begins the last week of September, and by then most of the birds went to migrate. Now, no hunting in Italy.

In Serbia, the benefits of Italian hunters have hunting agency and hunting associations and lobbyists, nobody else.

In Italy, the hunting is strictly controlled and very expensive, rigorous penalties, and most parts of Italy is prohibited for hunting.

In Serbia, all the cons. Voracious Italians coming to Serbia and kill all of them. Like most other birds, larks and pipits, which are prohibited for hunting, but who cares?

2012 we had an charge for two Italians who have made a massacre Pipit, sparrows and other small songbirds, for a couple of hours of the morning hunting, they killed 89 birds.

We have somewhere these pictures.

Regards, Vesna

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, HUNTING - Primarily UK and Germany, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering), SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »