“The battle continues”: the struggle to save European songbirds

“Glue It’s over, but the fight to save other birds is not over yet,” said activist Yves Verilhac. “We are now working to stop other cruel hunting methods that have led to the killing of skylarks, frogs, golden plovers, thrushes and black birds. “

Two years ago, Verilhac of the French League (LPO) is trying to stop French traditions Glue hunting —— Use adhesive-covered branches and branches to hunt songbirds.

Slime hunting Has been banned by the European Union 1979 Bird Directive, Unless in special circumstances “control, selectivity and [done] The number is limited.” Since 1989, France has invoked these circumstances and allowed gluing in the five provinces of the southeast on the grounds of tradition.

Today, Verilhac and other activists are celebrating a rare victory.This year, in the face of legal actions and possible fines initiated by the European Commission, the French government announced Glue hunting will be expressly prohibited.

However, the struggle to save endangered birds continues.

“Among the 64 species of birds that were hunted, FranceAt least 20 are on the danger list,” Verilhac said. “We successfully suspended hunting for three species: turtledoves, sandpipers and blacktail sandpipers. “

LPO stated that France continues to kill millions of birds every year. Some of the “traditional” methods used include huge nets, wire lassos to strangle birds, or traps where birds are crushed with rocks.As it has done for decades Glue hunting, The French government allows exemptions from EU directives.

However, following legal challenges from environmentalists, the French Supreme Court and the State Council temporarily suspended these methods, despite the country’s powerful hunting lobby group protesting, French President Emmanuel Macron also tried to restore the permit. The LPO wants to permanently ban these hunting methods, and Europe seems to do the same; Verilhac has produced a letter from the European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius, informing the French government to issue a final warning on this issue before being sent to the European Court of Justice.

France is not the only country in Europe that has seen hunters cut down on birds.Between estimates 11 million and 36 million birds Every year, people are illegally killed or taken away in Mediterranean countries, many of them during immigration. Over 5 million It is believed that Italy illegally hunts birds every year; in October, Italian hunters were found in Norway 2,000 dead thrushesVerilhac said that French hunters are now heading to Morocco to hunt turtledoves, where each hunter can kill 50 per day.

Facts have proved that the struggle surrounding France’s love of various forms of hunting is a key issue on the eve of the presidential election in April next year. There are as many as 1.2 million hunters in France, together with their supporters and family members, to form 5 million voters.

Willie Schlein, President of France National Hunter Federation (National Hunters Federation), has been touring in TV studios to explain the “passion” involved in hunting. Schraen readily admits that he is not hunting to control animal numbers—for example, farmers often lament that wild boars have destroyed their crops—but for recreation. He has stated that he would not reject the ministerial post in charge of “rural and agricultural”.