Two men were sentenced to one year in prison for retaining and selling two red-headed parrots in Guayaquil

Jorge Eduardo Ch. R. and Xavier Emilio VS were sentenced to one year in prison, fined four basic salaries ($1,700 each) and are obliged to apologize to the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition of Ecuador (Maate) having been found guilty of the retention and illegal sale of two red-headed parrots (Psittacara erythrogenys or aratinga) in Guayaquil.

The event happened last August in the Sauces sector. Through an operation carried out jointly between the Environmental Crimes Unit of the National Police (Unidcan) and the technical staff of Maate, it was identified that the wildlife species had mutilation of their primary feathers on the right side and low body weight.

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In addition, the birds were inside a shoe box with no trace of food or water. “Strict wildlife control operations have been carried out, so we are vigilant that all criminal proceedings have the respective sanction,” said Isabel Tamariz, director of Zonal 5 of Maate.

“Our commitment is to strict compliance with the law, especially that crimes against flora and fauna do not go unpunished,” he added.

Birds remain at risk of extinction despite conservation plans in Ecuador

El Maate, in coordination with the National Police, determined the temporary custody of the birds. This species, Psittacara erythrogenysAccording to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Red List of Birds of Ecuador, it is in the category of near threatened (NT). (YO)