Tell Iowa- It Is a Crime to Harass Animals
- by: Animal Advocates
- recipient: U.S. Attorney Cliff Wendel
2 airplane pilots, Paul Austin and Craig Martin, were arrested for violating the Airborne Hunting Act, a federal law that prohibits using aircraft to harass animals. Prosecutors say the law applies even though the pilots weren't hunting because its ban on harassment makes it a crime "to disturb, worry, molest, rally, concentrate, harry, chase, drive, herd, or torment" animals with a plane.
On Nov. 16, 2012, natural resources specialist that manages Saylorville Lake, a reservoir north of Des Moines, witnessed the two low flying planes pass about 20 feet above the water, disrupting thousands of white pelicans and other birds the lake, and once the birds settled on another part of the lake, the planes passed by again, intentionall disturbing the birds and sending them back into flight. The pilots were flying in a careless, negligent or reckless manner in a protected land where tens of thousands of pelicans, ducks, geese and other birds stop there every fall to rest and feed before continuing south.
Among the questions being debated by the men's attorney: Are birds capable of feeling harassment?
Yes. Of course they are. Even the Marine Mammal Proection Act recognized animals subjected to harassment and defines harassment as "any act of pursuit, torment or annoyance which has the potential to either: a. injure a marine mammal in the wild, or b. disturb a marine mammal by causing disruption of behavioral patterns, which includes, but is not limited to, migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering."
We ask that you protect wildlife and the migrating birds on protected land from this kind of viscious harassment displayed by the pilots, with no intent but to harrass the birds. Please prosecute this federal crime to the fullest extent of the law.
SOURCE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120430/us-animal-harassment-law/
2 airplane pilots, Paul Austin and Craig Martin, were arrested for violating the Airborne Hunting Act, a federal law that prohibits using aircraft to harass animals. Prosecutors say the law applies even though the pilots weren't hunting because its ban on harassment makes it a crime "to disturb, worry, molest, rally, concentrate, harry, chase, drive, herd, or torment" animals with a plane.
On Nov. 16, 2012, natural resources specialist that manages Saylorville Lake, a reservoir north of Des Moines, witnessed the two low flying planes pass about 20 feet above the water, disrupting thousands of white pelicans and other birds the lake, and once the birds settled on another part of the lake, the planes passed by again, intentionall disturbing the birds and sending them back into flight. The pilots were flying in a careless, negligent or reckless manner in a protected land where tens of thousands of pelicans, ducks, geese and other birds stop there every fall to rest and feed before continuing south.
Among the questions being debated by the men's attorney: Are birds capable of feeling harassment?
Yes. Of course they are. Even the Marine Mammal Proection Act recognized animals subjected to harassment and defines harassment as "any act of pursuit, torment or annoyance which has the potential to either: a. injure a marine mammal in the wild, or b. disturb a marine mammal by causing disruption of behavioral patterns, which includes, but is not limited to, migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering."
We ask that you protect wildlife and the migrating birds on protected land from this kind of viscious harassment displayed by the pilots, with no intent but to harrass the birds. Please prosecute this federal crime to the fullest extent of the law.
SOURCE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120430/us-animal-harassment-law/
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