But the working group in Marsdijk has little confidence in the proper implementation of the measures. “At that new location near Loon I have not yet spotted any rooks. I don’t think that place has any appeal, so that doesn’t seem to work. But here they are in droves,” says Siepel, “and more than last year.” Especially at dusk, around six o’clock in the evening, it is very busy in the trees near the Beekdalhoeve.
According to the law, this main colony must also remain untouched, as long as the rooks from Marsdijk do not flee en masse to the alternative location. “That place is protected, and according to the municipality and province nothing can be done about it. If we now see how many rooks there are every day, we will have sleepless nights again from the breeding season,” says Siepel.
The working group can only conclude that ‘the situation is getting out of hand’. She therefore demands quick action from the municipality in the fire letter, because the breeding season will start in a few weeks. “So there is still a few weeks to ensure that actions can be taken that do have results. To ensure that this problem does not escalate,” says Roekenloos Marsdijk in the letter.
She wants responsible alderman Jan Broekema (SP) to take the lead now, and for the city council to monitor the matter. According to the working group, there is ‘a lot of dissatisfaction’ about the Asser rookie approach. For example, Roekenloos Marsdijk also points to the angry farmers from Loon. There they are disappointed that the relocated rook nests, despite objections, have come close to their fields. They are afraid of more damage to their crops and want the nests there to disappear again.
According to Siepel, the fire letter should put pressure on the municipality and province, ‘in the interest of people’s health’. “It is no longer possible to hide behind regulations and administrative layers. There is serious health damage to local residents. When the regulations were devised, such consequences were probably not taken into account. It cannot be the case that maintaining a rook population prevails above people’s health. Something has to be done.”
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