2 face wildlife charges after bird killed at Craven Country Thunder festival

A man and a teen are facing wildlife charges after a gull was killed at the Country Thunder music festival in Craven, Sask.

RCMP say they got a report over the weekend of two males having caught and killed a bird in the campground.

Police investigated and laid charges against a man and a teen under section 6 (1) of the Wildlife Regulation Act, which protects migratory birds.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Craig Clearysaid he didn't have the details as to what happened to the gull.

Last year, akitten was reported to have been set on fire at the festival. A man and a teen were charged with causing distress to an animal, but the charges were later stayed.

Gulls federally protected

Gulls are managed and protected federally because they are included in the Migratory Birds Convention Act. The act covers birds that travel through Canada, the United States and Mexico.

The act is about having checks and balances, said Darrell Crabbe, executive director with the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation.

"There's lots of those bird that might be a nuisance sometimes," he said. "But it's because of that international agreement that those numbers are controlled."

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There has to be oversight, Crabbe said, especially because the birdcount varies from country to country.

"We could have plenty of birds in Canada, but elsewhere they could be considered as a special interest."

This isn't the first time someone in Saskatchewan has been charged under the act, Crabbe said.

He recalled three men who were charged after a video of them shooting ducks illegally gained traction online. The men were charged with violating the Saskatchewan Wildlife Act and the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act.

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There are birds mostly goose and duck species that can be harvested, but it has to follow the regulations cited in the act, Crabbe said.

Other calls for service at Craven

In the 24-hour periodfrom Sunday morning to Monday morning, RCMP say they got 34 calls for service at Craven.

Police also responded to a medical emergency at 12:40 a.m. CST Mondayinvolving an unresponsive male on the event grounds. Police and medical staff provided initial medical care until the arrival of STARS. He was taken to hospital for treatment.

Police said they got a total of 135 calls for service at thisyear's event. Last year, there were 114 calls for service.

Only one impaired driving charge was laid this year.

"I expect that the public attention, the negativity surrounding impaired driving and the harm that it can cause is sinking in," Cleary said.

"Our presence in and around the site was obviously very pronounced and noticeable. So whether it's our enforcement or just the decision making of the public, together I think that contributed to the reduction."

He said there were about 40 officers stationed in and around the event.

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