The poachers could face confiscation of property and of the vehicle and even jail terms of up to five years. The Ministry of the Environment put forward a bill to amend and supplement the Penal Code and the Contravention Code of Moldova so that these provide for harsher penalties for poachers, IPN reports.

The amendments proposed to the Penal Code revise the penalties in the form of fines and jail terms for poaching and the complementary punishment that bans the person from holding particular posts, and introduces new components of offences committed by public servants who use their position to take part in poaching.

The changes to the Contravention Code stipulate higher fines and introduce bans on holding particular posts and firearms for poaching. The document also empowers environmental inspectors to confiscate corpus delicti (vehicles and banned traps) used in the commission of the offense.

The Ministry of the Environment is hopeful that the bill will be approved by the Government and passed by Parliament so that the wild fauna is not destroyed by poachers, while the state protects its heritage.