The case began on June 16 when tenants of nearby buildings notified the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources that people atop the Weyco warehouse were killing gulls with shovels and throwing birds and nests over the side of the building. Wisconsin DNR Conservation Wardens notified U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Ed Spoon, who began an investigation. Agent Spoon discovered that Weyco employees had, in fact, killed and removed several hundred young ring-billed and herring gulls from the roof of the Glendale building.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had issued Weyco Group a depredation permit to remove gull nests and eggs from their roof. During the permit-issuing process, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, specifically told Weyco Group that the permit did not allow the killing of live birds.
Its important that people understand Weyco Group violated the conditions of a depredation permit. The Fish and Wildlife Service and Department of Agriculture will work with anyone having problems with migratory birds. But, once a permit is issued, it is very important that the permit be complied with. A depredation permit is very specific-- it is not a license to kill, said Special Agent Spoon.
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act is a federal wildlife law that protects waterfowl, songbirds, hawks, owls and many other game and non-game bird species. Enforced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the act was passed in 1916 to stop the decline of bird populations which were being decimated by market hunters seeking meat, as well as feathers for the fashion industry. The Act regulates sport hunting of migratory game birds and provides full protection for many other species of migratory birds. Congress recently approved raising the maximum fine for violations of the Act from $5,000 to $15,000. Today is the first time the new maximum fine has been levied against a corporation in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprising more than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries and 78 ecological services field stations.
The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://www.fws.gov/r3pao/
