Monday, August 22, 2011

Electeds want to stop Kissena Park poachers


From the Village Voice:

Earlier today in Flushing, Assembly members Grace Meng and Rory Lancman, and park advocate Beverly McDermott, said the theft of flora and fauna remains especially egregious in Kissena Park.

McDermott, the president of the Kissena Park Civic Association and unofficial mayor of the park, has witnessed people leaving with coolers full of turtles and fish from the park's pond, and come upon hidden snares. And, she said, thieves are not just looking for food. It appears some are looking for beauty too, and are "luxury" poaching. Hundreds of daffodil bulbs planted one day have disappeared by the next day. (Note to the thief, before he/she gets any ideas: Daffodils are poisonous to humans.)

Lancman announced that in the next two weeks "Please do not harm or remove wildife" signs in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean will be posted around the park. The Parks Department has not wanted to post similar warnings in Central Park in the past, to avoid giving markers of where all the best treats can be scavenged.

Lancman also called for the Parks Department to step up the loosely enforced $250 fines against illegal foraging.

And to perpetrators: "Stop treating the park like their personal salad bar," Lancman admonished. After detailing the array of adorable -- and possibly mouthwatering -- bounty that calls Kissena Park home: fish, turtles, rabbit, pheasants, he warned: "That's not your personal buffet table."

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Arm the public and shoot to kill.
That works for me.

a "Purdey" sight said...

A troupe of well armed game wardens....carrying nice British made 12 bore side-by-side double guns loaded with rock salt....
ought to discourage poaching.

Anonymous said...

The city needs a Beverly McDermott on it's administration! Where are Bloomberg's alert, concerned, and connected staff on this growing problem? Oh. I forgot, this is Queens. where hardworking taxpayers are left to fend for themselves.

Toby Stashitsky said...

Good news! Turtle Soup's on the menu today at the North Flushing Senior Center. Guaranteed fresh!!! See ya there!

Anonymous said...

I'm sure most of the poor poached turtles and other wildlife end up on menus in vibrant downtown Flushing eateries.

Anonymous said...

NYC set the standard by killing all the waterbirds with zycklon gas, so everybody stop and think.

Anonymous said...

I'm very glad to hear that steps have been taken to correct the problem - I LOVE the fine idea - and now the signs will empower park goers who witness this egregious behavior to report them.

They should also mention a no. to call on the signs they are putting up.

GOOD JOB!

Joe said...

""signs to empower park goers to report poachers""

What good is it when Bloombers policy is for the parks, police and DA to "lay off" and not prosecute immigrants

Best thing is to remove all the turtles and bring them upstate far away from these 3rd world scum determined to eat them.
The cops will never be around when you need them nor respond to a poaching call.

I'm all for law abiding citizens with pitch fork's and salt rifles.