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Ducks are shot despite protest
Wigan's ruddy ducks have been slaughtered despite huge public opposition and months of campaigning to save them.
Marksmen from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) shot the ducks at dawn yesterday after the birds' fate was sealed by Wigan Council at a full council meeting the previous evening.
After hearing the cull was taking place at Pearson Flash in Poolstock, protesters travelled but arrived too late.
It is not known how many of the 80 ducks have survived the controversial culling, but angry protesters and animal welfare organisations vowed to return to Wigan flashes this morning to disrupt any further killing.
The council gave Defra permission for marksmen to take boats out onto Pearson Flash to shoot the ducks despite a public outcry, but had remained tight-lipped about when the cull would take place so people had no chance to stage a protest.
The ruddy ducks were doing no harm to wildlife or the environment in Wigan.
The only reason for the cull is that the Spanish are concerned that a very small number are migrating from England to Spain and breeding with their native white headed duck, leading to concerns they are weakening the blood line of their indigenous species.
Community Action Party Councillor Peter Franzen, who has long campaigned against the cull, was one of the protesters who rushed to the Flashes in a bid to save the ruddy ducks. He brought a claxon to encourage the birds to fly away to safety.
He said: "There is no justification for this. It is absolutely outrageous."
A spokesman for Defra said: "The reason for the cull of ruddy ducks is to conserve the white headed ducks."
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Weather for Wigan
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
