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Video duration: 5 min
Trafficking: in the jungle of bird traffickers
Sales of wild birds, prohibited but very lucrative, attract traffickers. A France 2 team followed a brigade from the Biodiversity Office, which tracks down poachers. – (France 2)
Sales of wild birds, prohibited but very lucrative, attract traffickers. A France 2 team followed a brigade from the Biodiversity Office, which tracks down poachers.
After weeks of investigation, the police are preparing to intervene. In the outskirts of Lille (North), they suspect bird trafficking. During the search of the home, another team watches the back of the garden. The police came out several hours later with 24 birds, including “a majority of goldfinches”. The capture of this wild bird is strictly prohibited in France, but some have made a very lucrative trade in it. “In my hands there are more than a thousand euros”assures a police officer.
Up to three years in prison and a fine of 150,000 euros
This offense is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of 150,000 euros. The goldfinch is coveted for its beauty and its song. In France, only domestic species are authorized. Illegal sales of wild birds take place over the Internet. In 2023, many traffickers have been convicted by the courts for catching and reselling goldfinches, and thousands of birds seized. After being seized, certain birds, particularly when they result from breeding with tame birds, are entrusted to breeders.
