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Sietchblog - The Naib

The IPCC says we have 8 years to stop global warming, and now Greenpeace and nine non-governmental organizations, say we have 7 years to stop deforestation in the Amazon. These groups have launched a proposal for a national agreement to end Amazon deforestation at an event attended by the Brazilian Minister of Environment and State Governors. The proposal aims to achieve a broad commitment from sectors of the Brazilian government and civil society for measures to ensure urgent protection for the Amazon rainforest.

“As we launch this initiative, the forests in the Amazon are being slashed and burned. This has to end. We show that it can end if political will, financing and conservation efforts work in a co-ordinated manner” said Greenpeace Amazon Campaign Co-ordinator Paulo Adario.

“Protecting the world’s remaining forests will significantly reduce climate change, maintain the livelihood of millions of people who depend on the forest and protect a huge amount of the world’s biodiversity” he said.

The proposal, entitled the ’Agreement on Acknowledging the Value of the Forest and Ending Amazon Deforestation’ shows that adopting a system of reduction targets could end deforestation in the Amazon by 2015.

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The Canadian Press

HALIFAX - Natural Resources officers are asking for the public’s help as they investigate an second incident of moose poaching on the Nova Scotia mainland within the past month.

A hide was discovered floating in the South Branch Apple River last week. It’s presumed the moose was killed Thanksgiving weekend, the meat was taken and the remains dumped in the river.

“We can’t stress enough how detrimental poaching is to the moose population on mainland Nova Scotia,” Natural Resources Minister David Morse said in a release Wednesday.

“Each and every moose we have left is precious and, in an effort to increase the mainland moose population, we need the public’s help to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for this offence.”

Moose in mainland Nova Scotia have been listed as “endangered” under the Nova Scotia Endangered Species Act since 2003. There are about 1,000 of the animals in that part of the province.

Individuals convicted of illegally killing the animal have received fines of about $7,500.

Under terms of the act, a first-time offence can face a $500,000 maximum fine for individuals and $1 million for corporations. These fines can double with each additional mainland moose killed.

 This is Lancashire

A SHOPKEEPER has admitted 14 charges of possessing and selling stuffed endangered animals.

Darrell Kevin Cosgrove, 41, pleaded guilty to the specimen offences after police seized 20 stuffed animals from his Accrington antiques store.

He was originally charged along with Paul Barrett, 58, but the allegations against Mr Barrett, of Ribble Drive, Bury have now been withdrawn.

At Hyndburn Magistrates Court Cosgrove was charged on his own, as the owner of the Sellitall shop in Blackburn Road, where the items were displayed.

Officers recovered a large range of birds and animals after a raid at the shop in March.

At the time Cosgrove was the owner of the shop and Barrett was the manager.

Among the haul seized by police were three tawny owls, a European eagle owl, a sparrowhawk, two buzzards, two peregrine falcons, a Eurasian owl, a red squirrel, a Scottish wildcat, a mounted otter’s head and a mounted badger’s head.

The charges have been brought under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species regulations and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The Control of Trade In Endangered Species Regulations govern wildlife trade in the UK. The items were sent to the Guild of Taxidermy for analysis.

Cosgrove, of Timberhurst, Bury, will appear at Hyndburn Magistrates Court next week for sentence.

At the time of the raids Lancashire Police wildlife officer, PC Nick Mattock, said: “A number of protected birds of prey and other items were recovered from the shop. The operation was a result of information from the public which suggested endangered species were in the shop.

“While these specimens may not have been killed for taxidermy, people do kill for that purpose because there is a market for it and people feed that market, which is why we carry out such operations.”

At the time of the raid former owner Kevin Cosgrove said 16 police officers raided the store.