A man from Maarkedal (East Flanders) was sentenced to eight months in prison, half suspended, and fined €40,000 by the Audernarde criminal court for illegally possessing over 450 wild animals.
The court's ruling also includes a hefty public compensation of nearly €70,000. According to Bird Protection Association Vogelbescherming Vlaanderen, who were civil parties to the case, this is the first time damages to nature have been valued so highly. They consider it a major signal from the judiciary.
In addition, the offender received a lifetime ban on owning animals, and all his animals were confiscated. A total of 118 CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) species, such as the barn owl, tawny owl, Japanese nightingale, summer carrion and lemon-crested cockatoo, were seized.
There were also 134 illegally kept native species, such as the ortolan, skylark, raven, tree finch and goldfinch, as well as a large number of turtles.
Vogelbescherming Vlaanderen said the offender has been involved in the illegal animal trade for decades and fraudulently ringed birds for profit. The association reported finding a large sum of money in his house, supposedly for investing in new cages, despite him being unemployed.
The association claimed the offender shrugged off all responsibility. He allegedly said he acted out of love for animals and compared himself to a stamp collector wanting to own as many species as possible. Vogelbescherming Vlaanderen was awarded a compensation of €7,750.
