An NGO puts the number of animals killed by the fires in Galicia at 250,000

The Monte Galego Defense Committee convenes this Thursday a new demonstration in Ourense under the slogan ‘Lume, never again’

OURENSE, July 20. (EUROPE PRESS) –

The NGO Fundación Franz Weber estimates that 250,000 animals have died in the more than 20,000 hectares devastated by the fires in Galicia, based on the predictive models of the University of Sydney (Australia), which estimate that between ten and fifteen individuals live together for each hectare of species of mammals, invertebrates, birds and other small living beings.

“To this should be added those who have not been able to be released from livestock farms and family animals, such as dogs, cats or small rodents,” he says in a statement.

For this reason, he warns that “if the climate crisis is not dealt with as seriously as it is supposed to be, humanity is going straight to disaster, as the record thermometers and the fires during these weeks in Galicia are reminding us.” Likewise, the NGO defends the end of hunting in burned spaces and the intervention with renaturalization actions.

For its part, the Arco Iris environmental association requests an indefinite moratorium on the installation of new wind farms and the suspension of those that are currently in the process of being processed. “The current state of the affected surfaces does not allow the use of machinery of any kind, much less that used for the
installation of wind farms”, he warns.

Along with this, Verdegaia informs that ‘de-eucalyptizing’ brigades will be on July 23 in Froxán, municipality of Lousame (A Coruña). At a time of a wave of fires, he points out that work will be done to clean up the mountains and eliminate exotic species to help fight climate change.

In addition, the Monte Galego Defense Committee has called a new demonstration this Thursday, July 21, in Praza Maior de Ourense, under the slogan ‘Lume, never again’, to denounce the situation of “abandonment” and “lack of foresight” of the Xunta before the fires.

THE COLLECTION OF XORNALISTAS ASKS THE XUNTA TO IMPROVE THE INFORMATION ABOUT FIRE

In another order of things, the Colexio de Xornalistas has demanded from the Ministry of Rural Environment an improvement in the information on forest fires to facilitate journalistic work.

“The communication that the Ministry of Rural Affairs is carrying out is far from the minimum that would be desirable when dealing with such a relevant issue for society,” the Colexio complains. “The press releases with information on the fires consist, mainly, of a list of data on the different town halls, presented in a fragmented and unconnected manner, which in practice produce opacity and make it difficult to provide information that goes beyond the simple transmission of the institutional statement,” he adds.

Among other reproaches, the lack of information on the total hectares affected, the number of active outbreaks, the troops that participate in the extinctions, with data provided in a “dispersed manner” is pointed out. To this is added “the decision not to report on fires of less than 20 hectares”, which “does not facilitate journalistic work either.”

THE PONTEVEDRA COUNCIL TRANSFERS ITS SOLIDARITY TO AFFECTED PEOPLE

Meanwhile, the Pontevedra Provincial Council has conveyed its solidarity to the people affected by the fires in the Galician community.

In a statement, the provincial entity explains that media and personnel from the Provincial Consortium joined the operation since the weekend, which are working in the areas of Lugo and Ourense most affected by the fire.