Police investigate illegal netting of endangered puffins in Norwegian nature reserve

Police in Norway’s Nordland county are appealing for information after six endangered puffins were found trapped in nets at Nykan nature reserve, Dagbladet reports.

Officers received reports on Wednesday of large nets placed on an islet within the protected area. Operational leader Kai Henrik Eriksen confirmed that six Atlantic puffins had been caught in the nets.

“This is considered serious environmental crime,” Eriksen stated. The puffin is listed as a critically endangered species in Norway, with a “very high risk” of extinction according to WWF. The birds are currently in the early stages of their breeding season.

Authorities are urging anyone with information or observations from the area to come forward. The use of nets to trap wild birds is illegal under Norwegian conservation laws.

The Nykan nature reserve, located in Nordland, is a designated protection zone for seabirds, including the declining puffin population.