Pärnu Officials Visited Protected Sorgu Island During Peak Bird Season

On May 20, Pärnu city administration traveled to Sorgu Island, despite an active ban on visits from April 1 to July 15 due to bird nesting. The Department of the Environment issued a special permit under the pretext of building inspection. It was subsequently revealed that none of the officials present were specialists capable of assessing the condition of the structures.

Pärnu city administration visited Sorgu Island on May 20 — a territory where a ban on visits has been in effect from April 1 to July 15 due to the bird nesting period. Despite the existing restrictions, the officials received a special permit from the Estonian Department of the Environment.

The primary justification for the visit was the need to inspect the buildings on the island. This argument allowed city leadership to convince the agency to issue an exceptional permit for visiting the protected area during the height of the nature protection period.

However, after the trip, a significant flaw was discovered: there was not a single subject matter specialist in the delegation who could professionally assess the technical condition of the structures. Thus, the stated purpose of the visit was effectively not achieved, which raises questions about the justification for the permit that was issued.