Audubon called on state and federal law enforcement agencies and the Navy to continue to pursue charges and disciplinary action against one woman and six men suspected of participating in an incident in February in which 21 protected wading birds were shot out of the sky as they flew to roost for the night in a secluded rookery.
The incident occurred on February 17, 2009 when wildlife law enforcement officers observed the wading birds falling from the sky and then arrested the suspects as they exited a secluded area within the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve near Goodland. Four of the suspects are Navy pilots-in-training in Pensacola
This week the State Attorney 20th Judicial Circuit Office declined to charge the seven individuals with trespassing charges stating that prosecution was abandoned due to insufficient “No Trespassing” signs in the area and the fact that officers did not actually witness the shooters.
“Audubon has worked for more than 100 years to protect these treasured species and ensure a healthy Southwest Florida environment to support them,” said David Anderson, Executive Director of Audubon of Florida. “It is deeply troubling that our society still witnesses such cruel slaughter of wildlife. State and federal law enforcement agencies must continue to pursue legal remedies to discourage this type of violence, despite the State Attorney’s decision not to prosecute the trespassing charges.”
Specifically, Audubon of Florida and Collier County Audubon Society are calling on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to pursue civil charges under the Florida Administrative Code, and to work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service toward criminal prosecution of the suspected perpetrators under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Additionally, Audubon encourages the Navy to continue its investigation and seek military disciplinary action.
“Given the legal outcome so far, if no justice is forthcoming from the state level, Audubon and the state must explore additional legal protections to prevent a repetition of violent acts of senseless resource destruction,” said Alan Keller, President of Collier County Audubon Society.
