Kill Protected Birds Expect Fines And Jail Time
Caspian Tern by Steve Gifford
Last June Charles Belgard, 21 years old, drove a Jeep about 70 mph through 10 flocks of seabirds on the Long Beach peninsula in Washington. This week he was delivered his sentence.
Sharnelle Fee, Director of the Wildlife Center of the North Coast said:
It wasn’t just a one-time down the beach thing. He was driving up and down the beach though multiple flocks. It was especially egregious.
He killed over 50 seabirds! Most of the casualties were Heermann’s Gulls and Caspian Terns which are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.
Heermann's Gull by lamoustique
Federal law lists this type of violation as a misdemeanor, but Charles was charged under Washington state law where animal cruelty is a felony! The judge awarded him 45 days in jail and a $1,050 fine!
Sharnelle Fee:
We really appreciate their effort and their attempts to show that this is serious. It just sends a message that not only is this cruel but also there are repercussions if you’re caught.
What do you think about the results?
