Ad-interim mayor prohibits sale of some spring flowers in Chisinau

The snow drops, spring crocuses, pasque flowers, violets, lilies-of-the-valley, motley tulips and forest peonies will not be sold in Chisinau any longer. The ad-interim mayor-general of Chisinau, Vasile Ursu, signed an order in this respect on March 21. The order „bans the sale of vernal plants included in the Red Book and international conventions.” Forces of the General Police Department and Chisinau Ecological Agency will be rallied to fight against street vendors. The interdiction on sale of rare species of forest flowers is effective from March 21 to May 20. According to environmentalists, the group of rare plants from spontaneous flora of Moldova includes more than 500 species. The endangered categories have grown in the past years, especially the number of species from „critically endangered”, „endangered” and „vulnerable” categories. The spontaneous vegetal patrimony of Moldova has degraded because of two factors – human destruction of habituates of vegetal populations and expansion of invading plants both in ground and water ecosystems.