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COUPLE FROM NANTES FELL FOUL OF THE LAW WHEN THEY PUT SOME STUFFED OWLS THEY USED TO COLLECT FOR SALE ONLINE A COUPLE from Nantes fell foul of the law when, after an attic clear-out, they
put some stuffed owls they used to collect for sale on a website. A National Office for Hunting and Wildlife employee, posing as a buyer, came to the house to confiscate the birds and told
the couple to expect to be prosecuted. A 1976 law on bird protection forbids the sale of rare or endangered species, dead or alive. A 1979 EU bird directive applies similar regulations
throughout the union. Even if you accidentally kill or find a dead protected bird, you cannot transport it, let alone stuff it, sell it or even give it away. Harming swallows, martins,
swifts, their nests and eggs is likewise illegal – as police themselves have found out. In January, 120 swallows’ nests were destroyed at the police station in Saint Roch d’Avignon, prior to
renovation. As a result, the regional branch of the bird protection league (LPO) is taking them to court for an offence that carries up to a €9,000 fine or six months in prison. As the
French legal saying has it: nul n’est censé ignorer la loi (ignorance of the law is no excuse) – and that applies to ones protecting birds. If in doubt – check with your mairie.