Courts halt tendering processes for hunting mountain goats and gazelles

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The Erzincan Administrative Court has given a verdict of stay of execution in the lawsuit that was filed by veterinarian Askar Altınöz from the Turkey Group for Salda Lake against the tender lodged for hunting 26 wild goats in Turkey's eastern province of Erzincan.

In its ruling, the court has concluded that the tendering process in question violates the following two provisions of the Law no. 5199: "It is essential that the endangered species and their living spaces be protected" and "Any intervention that will cause the extinction of a species is prohibited."

The Turkey Group for Salda has released a statement about this latest development. "Living is a right for wild animals, we are here to keep alive and we will continue doing so," has said veterinarian Altınöz.

Gazelles saved as well

In the lawsuit filed by lawyer Emin Baran against the tender foreseeing the hunting of nine gazelles for 21 thousand 600 lira, the Şanlıurfa 1st Administrative Court has also given a ruling of stay of execution.

Announcing the decision of the court, lawyer Baran has said:

"A verdict of stay of execution has been given in the lawsuit that we filed at the Şanlıurfa 1st Administrative Court against the killing of gazelles. We filed and won dozens of lawsuits, but it would not be an exaggeration if I said that this verdict is the best verdict of my life."

What happened?

As part of the decisions taken by the Central Hunting Committee of the Nature Protection and National Parks Directorate General, quotes were set for the season 2020-2021 across the country. These quotes sparked debates in some provinces and the tenders held in groups by the regional directorates have been taken to court. In this process, the killing of 798 wild animals except for wild boars has been permitted.

It is decided to kill 398 billy wild goats, 25 şelek wild goats, 45 nanny wild goats, 12 hybrid wild goats, 39 rupicapra rupicapra ornata, 9 Anatolian wild sheep, 14 gazelles, 89 red deers, 167 roe deers and hundreds of wild boars whose numbers will be specified by regional directorates.

According to the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, which Turkey is a party to, the rupicapra rupicapra (mountain goat) and rupicapra rupicapra ornata are "Strictly Protected Fauna Species." They are also in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. (TP/SD)