Rats on wings?
Source: You Tube (AFP News Agency) Key Words: Venice purges pigeons
The birds had gone hungry for two days after the age-old tourist tradition of feeding the pigeons in the picturesque square came to an abrupt end.
Although feeding the pigeons has long been outlawed in other parts of the lagoon city, on Wednesday Mayor Massimo Cacciari won his battle to extend the ban city-wide and force the square's 19 licensed birdseed sellers to shut up shop.
Animal rights campaigners said they were feeding the birds on Friday in an effort to stop ''the shameful massacre of the animals through hunger and capture''.
''Pigeons have lived in Venice for centuries and they have a close link with its history, its traditions and its residents: they are one of (the city's) best-known symbols around the world,'' said Cristina Romieri of the Italian Vegetarian Association.
''Now with unjustifiable alarmism the council wants to exterminate them by starving them, ignoring civilised and valid alternative methods like the administration of contraceptive medicine,'' she added.
Tourists, including children, helped the animal rights campaigners distribute the seed in the square but the morning's feeding frenzy failed to capture the attention of the municipal police.
Venice has for years been trying to cut its estimated 40,000-strong pigeon population which produces thousands of tonnes of droppings a day.
While many visitors to the lagoon city find its soaring flocks of pigeons charming, the council says they are a public health menace and a nuisance, eroding the city's historic facades and statues with their highly acidic guano.
Controversial efforts at controlling the pigeons - which Cacciari describes as ''flying rats'' - have included trapping the birds in nets and removing them from the square.
''The city council has been trying to reduce the number of birds for ten years through continuous, violent capture and indiscriminate killing, which adults and children are forced to watch,'' Romieri said.
''Every year around 20,000 pigeons are killed, at a collective cost of 850,000 euros.
''It's an unacceptable, costly and ineffective method rejected by the scientific world: the surviving pigeons continue to reproduce, finding more space and food at their disposal,'' she added.
The evicted birdseed vendors are also unhappy with the council's methods and are seeking 150 euros per day as compensation for their lost jobs.
Failing that, they want the council to issue them with permits to sell souvenirs on the square.
Local people became less sympathetic to the plight of both vendors and birds after a report by the Nomisma research group found that the presence of pigeons in Venice costs each resident some 275 euros a year to clean up the mess and damage.
Some experts even claim the excrement, by eroding flagstones, has increased the risk of the 'acqua alta' that puts the square under water for much of the winter.
The city recently banned the tradition of showering newly-wed couples with rice as part of its bid to *tackle the pigeon menace.
True or False?
Venice Pigeon Feeding Ban Flouted
Animal rights campaigners in Venice crossed swords with the city council on Friday after distributing 30 kilos of birdseed to flocks of ravenous pigeons in St Mark's Square.
The birds had gone hungry for two days after the age-old tourist tradition of feeding the pigeons in the picturesque square came to an abrupt end.
Although feeding the pigeons has long been outlawed in other parts of the lagoon city, on Wednesday Mayor Massimo Cacciari won his battle to extend the ban city-wide and force the square's 19 licensed birdseed sellers to shut up shop.
Animal rights campaigners said they were feeding the birds on Friday in an effort to stop ''the shameful massacre of the animals through hunger and capture''.
''Pigeons have lived in Venice for centuries and they have a close link with its history, its traditions and its residents: they are one of (the city's) best-known symbols around the world,'' said Cristina Romieri of the Italian Vegetarian Association.
''Now with unjustifiable alarmism the council wants to exterminate them by starving them, ignoring civilised and valid alternative methods like the administration of contraceptive medicine,'' she added.
Tourists, including children, helped the animal rights campaigners distribute the seed in the square but the morning's feeding frenzy failed to capture the attention of the municipal police.
Venice has for years been trying to cut its estimated 40,000-strong pigeon population which produces thousands of tonnes of droppings a day.
While many visitors to the lagoon city find its soaring flocks of pigeons charming, the council says they are a public health menace and a nuisance, eroding the city's historic facades and statues with their highly acidic guano.
Controversial efforts at controlling the pigeons - which Cacciari describes as ''flying rats'' - have included trapping the birds in nets and removing them from the square.
''The city council has been trying to reduce the number of birds for ten years through continuous, violent capture and indiscriminate killing, which adults and children are forced to watch,'' Romieri said.
''Every year around 20,000 pigeons are killed, at a collective cost of 850,000 euros.
''It's an unacceptable, costly and ineffective method rejected by the scientific world: the surviving pigeons continue to reproduce, finding more space and food at their disposal,'' she added.
The evicted birdseed vendors are also unhappy with the council's methods and are seeking 150 euros per day as compensation for their lost jobs.
Failing that, they want the council to issue them with permits to sell souvenirs on the square.
Local people became less sympathetic to the plight of both vendors and birds after a report by the Nomisma research group found that the presence of pigeons in Venice costs each resident some 275 euros a year to clean up the mess and damage.
Some experts even claim the excrement, by eroding flagstones, has increased the risk of the 'acqua alta' that puts the square under water for much of the winter.
The city recently banned the tradition of showering newly-wed couples with rice as part of its bid to *tackle the pigeon menace.
Source: Italymag
Spotlight on Vocabulary:
The city recently banned the tradition of showering newly-wed couples with rice as part of its bid to *tackle the pigeon menace.
If you tackle a problem you try to deal with it or sort it out
- If I were you, I'd tackle the problem in a different way.
- The government must tackle the problem of juvenile crime urgently.
If you tackle someone about something, you confront them about something that concerns you
- You should tackle him about his recent behaviour before things get worse.
- I don't know how to tackle them about their attitude. They will never understand.
#headlines #WOTD TACKLE (v) - to try to deal with a problem (abordar, enfrentar)
— Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) October 5, 2020
e.g. Many governments are failing to TACKLE Covid adequately.
- to speak to sb about stg bad that they have done
e.g. I'll have to TACKLE the neighbours about the noise. https://t.co/hNQY9M3GeM
- The city council and animal rights groups agree on the best way to control bird numbers.
- The Mayor doesn't want people to feed the birds.
- The pigeons only appeared in Venice relatively recently.
- Vendors are allowed to start selling souvenirs.
- Cristina Romieri thinks trapping pigeons in nets is the best and cheapest method.
- Police arrested people for feeding pigeons in the square.
- Locals are cleaning the mess left by the birds.
- Couples can't get married in the Square.
If you were a resident of Venice, would you side with the mayor?
Have you ever been to Venice? What are your memories of this unique city?
Comments
In this article it said: Mis Romieri (Vegetarian): Pigeons have lived for centuries. They are one of best-know symbols of the city. The council ignores methods like the administration of contraceptive medicine. Every year around 20,000 pigeons are killed, at a collective cost of 850,000 euros.
Mr. Cacciari (Mayor): Feeding pigeons has been aoutlawed by him. He forces 19 licensed birdseed sellers to shut up shop. There are a public health menace and a nuisance, eroding the city´s historic facades and statues with their highly acidic guano. He calls pigeons flying rats.
The vendors of square want the council to issue them with permits to sell souvenirs.
Local people: The presence of pigeons in Venice costs each resident some 275 euros a year to clean up the mess and damage.
Some experts even claim the excrement, by eroding flagstones, has increased the risk of the “acqua alta” that puts the spare under water for much of the winter.
Finally, it watched in the video that people enjoy feeding the pigeons in St Mark´s Square.
¡What mess! I suggest that as pigeons are flying rats, the Hamelin´s flautist takes all them to one mountain or other place and everyone will be glad. The Italian Vegetarian Association because nobody kills pigeons, Mayor because he mustn´t kill pigeons and clean monuments, local people because have not to pay, tourists because can feed pigeons everything what they want and, mostly, pigeons because can live freely.
True or false?
The city council and animal rights groups agree on the best way to control bird numbers. NO
The Mayor doesn´t want people to feed the birds. YES
The pigeons only appeared in Venice relatively recently. NO
Vendors are allowed to start selling souvenirs. NO
Cristina Romieri thinks trapping pigeons in nets is the best and cheapest method. NO
Police arrested people for feeding pigeons in the square. NO
Locals are cleaning the mess left by the birds. NO
Couples can´t get married in the Square. YES
See you.
I think it costs a great deal more to clean up after the masses of tourists than it does to protect Venice from pigeon excrement.
In this article it said: Mis Romieri (Vegetarian): Pigeons have been around for centuries. They are one of the best-known symbols of the city. The council ignores methods like the administration of contraceptive medicine. Every year around 20,000 pigeons are killed, at a collective cost of 850,000 euros.
Mr. Cacciari (Mayor): Feeding pigeons has been outlawed by him. He forces 19 licensed birdseed sellers to shut up shop. They are a public health menace and a nuisance, eroding the city´s historic facades and statues with their highly acidic guano. He calls pigeons flying rats.
The vendors of St. Mark's / the square want the council to issue them with permits to sell souvenirs.
Local people: The presence of pigeons in Venice costs each resident some 275 euros a year to clean up the mess and damage.
Some experts even claim the excrement, by eroding flagstones, has increased the risk of the “acqua alta” that puts the city under water for much of the winter.
Finally, you can see from the video that people enjoy feeding the pigeons in St Mark´s Square.
What a mess! I suggest that, as pigeons are flying rats, the Hamelin´s flautist takes all of them to one mountain or other place and everyone will be glad. It's a solution to keep everyone happy. The Italian Vegetarian Association because nobody kills pigeons, Mayor because he doesn't have to kill pigeons and clean monuments, local people because they don't have to pay, tourists because they can feed pigeons as much as they want and, especially, pigeons because they can live freely.
In the true/false questions, the thing that is banned is throwing rice as they leave the church.