(Press Release of the State Forestry Corps, 11.24.2012)
The men were stopped at an altitude of 2040 meters in the Sirente-Velino Regional Park during control activities of the Regional Forest “Acquazzese”
L’Aquila, November 24, 2012 – MG, aged 50, and FF, 54, both from Chiaravalle (Ancona) were stopped and reported by the staff of the State Forestry Corps for prohibited hunting in protected areas, holding 12-bore rifles and two English setters. The poachers, whose weapons have been seized, have been reported and preferred to judicial authorities. They face up to six months imprisonment and a 2.000 euro fine. So it comes to three the number of poachers caught in one of the most remote areas of the Sirente-Velino Regional Park, characterized by intact high altitude habitats, at the same time very close to the city of L’Aquila and the contiguous area of the park where hunting is permitted.
The staff of L’Aquila State Forestry Corps Territorial Biodiversity Department, in charge of the Regional Forest “Acquazzese” on behalf of the Abruzzo region, has intensified controls over the administrated area, along with the State Forestry Corps Station of Rocca di Mezzo, after the presence of a poacher in the same area has been recently reported. The territory of the Regional Forest, which covers 435 hectares from 1.320 meters above sea level to the peak of Mt Ocre (2.209 m), is entirely located in the Sirente-Velino Regional Park and in two areas of the European network Natura 2000 (Site of Community Importance no. IT7110206 “Monte Sirente and Monte Velino” and the Area of Special Protection no. IT7110130 “Sirente Velino”). Among these activities, the installation of a nature trail for hiking and naturalistic monitoring of flora and fauna are going to be carried out. Even in this case, right near the nature trail in progress, the biologist and Forestry State Vice Commissioner Mr. Bruno Petriccione, together with the Commander of Rocca di Mezzo Forestry Station, Superintendent Giovanni Caringi, stopped the reported subjects, hunting partridges, one of the most rare and endangered species in the Regional Forest and in the rest of the Sirente-Velino Regional Park. The area at issue is located 500 metres from the park border, beyond which the hunters often “trespass” in search of their prey, turning to be, from a legal standpoint, real poachers.
The forestry officer, assisted by the staff of L’Aquila Territorial Biodiversity Department and Rocca di Mezzo Station personnel, then proceeded to accompany the responsible to the Forestry Station to perform all the necessary acts of Judicial Police.