Court cancels tender for hunting of vulnerable goat species, cites Berne Convention
Photo: DEDEF
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A court has canceled a tender for the hunting of 47 wild goats in Burdur, southwestern Turkey, citing the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, according to a report by Artı Gerçek TV.
Although Turkey made a reservation to the Appendix-II list of the convention, which includes the types of goat that were allowed to be hunted, it doesn't mean that wild goats can be hunted without any limitation and that a tender can be lodged for this, according to the ruling by the Erzurum 1st Administrative Court.
"The existence of legally valid public interest must be sought" for hunting to be considered legal, the court further stated.
Capra aegagrusCapra aegagrus, or wild goat, is a species considered as "near-threatened" in the world and "vulnerable" in the Mediterranean region by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It has been also included in the Bern Convention Appendix-II list of "species under absolute protection." Its capture, killing, possession and trade are banned, according to the convention. Although wild goats are included in the ministry's list of species under protection, its hunting is allowed by the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, which is affiliated with the ministry, as part of a program to support rural development. |
The revenue that would come from the hunting, which was 71,200 (~9,500 USD) Turkish lira, would not be worth the hunting of five wild goats, said the court.
Hanifi Budancamanak, the head of the Bingöl Bar Association, which filed the lawsuit against the tender, said, "[The court] especially compared the revenue with animal life. It interpreted the public interest in favor of the lives of animals.
"I think such an interpretation despite the objection to the Berne Convention gives hope. We once again express that it is against conscience, morality and the law to put these rare creatures, whose species is about to disappear, to be put out to a tender to be killed for the personal pleasure of some people with money."
On June 17, 2020, the 6th Burdur Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry opened a tender for the hunting of 47 "Capra aegagrus" type wild goats in 13 groups.
Animal rights defenders all across Turkey filed lawsuits for the cancellation of the tender. After the ministry refused to step back, the Bingöl Bar also filed a suit. (TP/VK)