Trevor's Week - 1 April 2009
Over the past five years WRAS has regularly been called about pigeons trapped under netting at a railway bridge in Brighton.
We have been provided with the following information and would like to thank Brighton Animal Action, Peta and Picas for being involved and providing this information.
THE Pigeon Control Advisory Service (Picas) has undertaken an analysis of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The Wildlife Crime Unit of the Metropolitan Police has also advised Picas that in its view, pigeons (and other birds) trapped under bridges qualify as protected animals under the Act.
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 deals with all issues relating to cruelty and unnecessary suffering, both of which are commonly associated with the installation of bird control products, in particular, bird-exclusion products such as nylon bird netting. For example, if feral pigeons were excluded from a building or the underside of a railway bridge by the use of nylon bird netting, and if any of the birds or their young had died of starvation as a result of becoming trapped behind or in the netting, the property owner would be prosecuted for cruelty under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Bird-exclusion devices such as nylon bird netting can have potentially lethal consequences if the product has been installed inexpertly, in the wrong area, or without regard to the manufacturer's guidelines.
Entrapment is an extremely common consequence of poorly or inappropriately installed bird netting and can result in prosecution for the property owner concerned.
Nylon bird netting is one of the most expensive and one of the most commonly used bird-exclusion products, and yet it is not uncommon to see dead and dying birds hanging in degraded or poorly installed bird netting. Vast numbers of birds die every year having become trapped behind bird netting installations on buildings. Not only is this an illegal act (to entrap a wild bird) but it is completely avoidable.
Any agency can bring a prosecution against any individual or company where birds have suffered or died having become trapped behind or within bird netting installations. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 would be used for the purpose of the prosecution based on the fact that unnecessary suffering had resulted.
We sincerely hope that those who use netting on their buildings will think twice before letting them deteriorate and turn into a death trap. More information and advice on bird and especially pigeon deterrence is available from Picas at www.picasuk.com/the_law.
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This week we were called to a swan next to the Bridgemere Centre in Eastbourne. We had five calls about the swans, reporting them as oiled. We attended on site to check them out. After a difficult rescue the swan was caught and checked over but there was no smell of oil and most of the dark marking appeared to be organic matter.
However, the swan's waterproofing was badly compromised and the swan was starting to suffer from hypothermia and was taken up to the Swan Sanctuary for washing and treatment.
THE goose caught at Downash last week is doing very well, although not able to use its arthritic leg properly. He is being monitored closely and supported.
The dog-attacked swan from Ditchling Common is still undergoing treatment but improving all the time and the swan that crashed into power cables at Lewes is also on the mend too.
A couple of dates for your diary . . . WRAS is holding an Easter fair at the Clinton Centre, Seaford, opposite Barclays Bank on the A259. It opens at 9.30am and runs until midday. We have some new WRAS key rings being sold for just 1 each.
Also, we are holding our third and final Waterfowl Awareness Course at Crossways, Steyne Road, Seaford, on April 28 starting at 7.30pm and finishing about 9.30pm.
The course costs 7.50 per person booking in advance or 10 on the door.
Places can be booked by sending a cheque to Julia Bond via our address above. More information plus posters advertising the event can be found on our website www.wildlifeambulance.org
East Sussex WRAS is a voluntary organisation which relies on donations. We do not receive funding from government nor the RSPCA. Anyone wishing to make a donation should contact The Treasurer at PO Box 2148, Seaford, East Sussex, BN25 9DE. www.wildlifeambulance.org - 24-hour rescue line: 07815 078 234.
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Weather for Eastbourne
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: -6 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Light sleet showers
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North west
