The packs of stray dogs inside the Isla del Carmen Industrial Port are the subject of analysis by personnel from the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) and local civil associations, as they must look for alternatives to solve their presence since they are a threat to the least tern bird that formed a colony there.
The relocation and sterilization of these dogs could be an alternative solution, but not definitive since it would not end the problem and the constant threat for this migratory bird, but also for other species, such as sea turtles that come to lay their eggs, said Denis del Ángel Pérez Reyes, field technician at the Playa Norte Camp.
Recently, Profepa personnel were in Ciudad del Carmen for a routine inspection of the Playa Norte Camp, where they analyzed the site and the threats there. One of the topics was the control of stray dogs. However, these dogs are not feral. They feed in restaurants, so authorities are approaching the business owners to ask them to adopt the dogs to prevent them from roaming everywhere.
He explained that years ago, behind the Concha Acústica, terns formed the first colony in an urban area. Environmentalists worked to protect the birds, but two years to date, they migrated precisely due to the presence of dogs and humans. They went to the Isla del Carmen Industrial Port. Unfortunately, the dogs wiped out all the eggs and chicks last year.
The tern is a migratory bird that was displaced and preyed upon by the urban settlement and the pack of dogs in the port area. Among the actions discussed with Profepa were capturing, sterilizing, and releasing them in the area. It would be one of the actions, but an animal that has had that behavior for many years is unlikely to change.
Pérez Reyes said the issue is complicated because the birds travel thousands of kilometers to Ciudad del Carmen to feed and reproduce. Furthermore, we cannot speak of massive control of their predators since some protect dogs, which is why, together with Profepa, they are looking for control mechanisms.
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