the essential
This Wednesday in Paris, LFI deputies from Haute-Garonne Anne Stambach-Terrenoir and François Piquemal are organizing, with the PAZ association, a conference on liminal animals. Elected officials want to put an end to the lethal methods used to fight against their proliferation.
“It’s a little-known subject,” assures Anne Stambach-Terrenoir, LFI deputy for the 2nd constituency of Haute-Garonne. This Wednesday, the parliamentarian and her colleague François Piquemal are co-organizing with the animal rights association PAZ a conference on rats and pigeons at the National Assembly. Several specialists, such as Sébastien Moro, popularizer and scientific advisor specializing in animal cognition, or Hécate Vergopoulos, lecturer, will speak.
“These animals, often perceived as a nuisance due to their proliferation, are nevertheless sensitive and intelligent. Harmonious coexistence is possible,” argues Anne Stambach-Terrenoir.
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A particular focus will be on pigeons. “In Toulouse, in 2022, we know that 2,625 pigeons were captured. This figure does not take into account those that were caught by projected nets. One in two pigeons captured is sterilized. The others are probably gassed. Surgical sterilization does not “It has no proven effectiveness. It causes animals to suffer. Around 6% of them die as a result of this operation,” denounces the parliamentarian.
There are alternatives, assures the elected official. “In Belgium, surgical sterilization is prohibited. The contraceptive dovecote, although promising, remains rare in the Pink City, where only three devices are currently installed. This method could be generalized. Contraceptive corn is another possibility: in Barcelona, a conclusive experiment was carried out,” she says.
A bill will be tabled
Françoise Ampoulange, delegated municipal councilor of Toulouse in charge of Animals in the city, defends herself: “We are always looking for solutions. We recently had an external audit carried out. In its report, this company gave us recommendations. We let's favor the most proven methods.”
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Toulouse: “the town hall practices sterilization of pigeons which is damaging”, denounce activists from the REV and PAZ associations
For the PAZ association, the municipality does not seem to care about animal welfare. “Currently, the budget dedicated to contraceptive dovecotes in Toulouse amounts to €10,000, a paltry sum compared to the €100,000 allocated to capture campaigns,” she criticizes.
Opposition elected officials have been asking for non-lethal solutions for years. “They are demanding zero mortality on these animals. I agree, but we must give us concrete solutions. We are aware that we do not have the right to life or death over animals. However, the health risk remains a major concern that we must take into account”, indicates Françoise Ampoulange.
The group of LFI deputies will table a bill aimed at banning lethal methods to manage pigeon populations.
