The Animalist Party-PACMA presented its proposals to the Government of the Canary Islands this Tuesday for the elaboration of the Biodiversity and Natural Resources Law of the autonomous community. In the document, the animalist formation shows its "frontal rejection" of the Canary Government's intention to consider "feral" cats as a game species, "which would mean that those felines that are found in hunting grounds and do not have visible identification can be hunted."
"This measure, in addition to being cruel, would threaten the lives of domestic cats," says PACMA. The animal rights activists emphasize that collars with an identification plate, "the most common method of visible identification, are usually not and should not be used in felines, as they are very dangerous for them." "Without visible identification, it is impossible to determine when a cat is an animal that was born or lives in the wild, is domestic with access to the street, is abandoned or has been lost," they emphasize.
On the other hand, the Animalist Party considers it a "huge contradiction that the new law prohibits the possession of ferrets as a domestic animal and that, however, they are allowed to be used in hunts." "It makes no sense for people to be prohibited from having them at home as company, which does not imply releasing them or letting them loose, but hunters are allowed to release them into the natural environment to hunt. The latter logically implies a much greater danger of introducing the species into the environment," they warn.
Likewise, the formation emphasizes that "it is outrageous and absurd that, in a Bill whose objective is the conservation of habitats, populations and wild species, hunting activity is protected, when the coherent thing would be to prohibit hunting." PACMA recalls that each season "hunters leave behind thousands of tons of lead in the water and on the ground, which remain in the substrate for more than 300 years." "The places in the world where there is greater, richer and more varied biodiversity are those where sport hunting is prohibited, such as Ecuador and Colombia," they emphasize.
Convert zoos and aquariums
In a statement, the party explains that it has held "weeks of meetings" with the Canary Government to present these proposals. These include replacing the eradication of species with the implementation of ethical control and management measures for populations. "An example would be the establishment of the TNR system in cat colonies, which involves the capture, sterilization and return of felines," they explain. It also proposes prohibiting the import of so-called 'invasive' species, which it considers should be called 'exotic' or 'non-native'. "No species is invasive, as they were introduced by humans, mainly for commercial purposes," they add. To prevent the problems that may arise from the introduction of non-native species, PACMA proposes that the import of said species be prohibited.
On the other hand, they request the conversion of zoos, aquariums and other enclosures with animals into "sanctuaries, reserves and recovery and rescue centers", as well as the prohibition of the buying and selling of companion animals and the extraction of specimens or eggs from the natural environment for use in falconry or exhibitions, as well as their use as hunting tools.
Finally, PACMA congratulates the Canary executive's "attitude of collaboration" "when it comes to maintaining an open participatory process on the elaboration of the law", and hopes that its proposals will be taken into account, since it considers that they represent "a guarantee for the true well-being of animals."
