ARCHIVED - 28 under investigation across Spain for using poisoned bait and illegal hunting traps

Five of those identified were in Fortuna, Mula and Campos del Río

28 people have been placed under investigation by the Seprona wildlife protection wing of the Guardia Civil in connection with the use of outlawed hunting practices including illegal poisonous baits placed in traps in various parts of the country including the Region of Murcia.

Seprona carried out 289 inspections in hunting grounds across the country and found 1,628 irregularities, and at rural properties in the municipalities of Fortuna, Mula and Campos del Río the items confiscated included the poisonous substance aldicarb, firearms, ammunition, bows and arrows, traps, bait and other items associated with the killing and capture of wild animals.

During the same operation the Guardia also discovered 120 animals which had been poisoned, including Iberian lynx, imperial eagles and red kites, and confiscated 47 poisoned traps and 66 kilos of banned toxic substances. This was the latest of the annual “Operation Antitox” investigations and was carried out in close collaboration with the Ministry for Ecological Transition in the national government.

The most important transgressions detected were in the provinces of Toledo, where the victims of poison included an imperial eagle and numerous kites and foxes, Alicante, Ciudad Real (12 griffon vultures and a greyhound), La Rioja and Murcia: in the Costa Cálida, as mentioned above.

The Guardia explains that this kind of investigation is particularly complicated on account of the lack of witnesses, the isolated nature of the locations in which offences are committed and the local knowledge of the perpetrators, which gives them a huge advantage when attempting to escape detection on the ground. In addition, the investigating officers need a very high level of specialized training involving not only first-hand observation but also a knowledge of DNA analysis and ballistics.

For these reasons Seprona rely heavily on the contribution of the canine units of the Guardia Civil in detecting banned substances.

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