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Lapwing trapping: A scandalous stance by France and the European Commission (1 Viewer)

David

David

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French (and Spanish) hunters and trappers have ‘Carte blanche’ to hunt and eat declining protected bird species. A particularly crass example of this is the trapping and killing of hundreds of thousands of lapwings (Vanellus vanellus). This species is gradually disappearing from many farmland and wetland habitats in Europe. The ‘traditional’ practice of laying out pond complexes with huge clap nets to trap Lapwings, Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria) and other wader species is permitted by the French Ecology Ministry and tolerated by the European Commission.

It is time that this scandalous practice was put a stop to. For more information, including a CABS video clip of lapwing trapping in France please visit:





Thank you,
 
What a disgrace to see this going on - why pick on an animal a lot smaller than yourself for what purpose. :C:C:C

I assume that these birds are eaten, like everything else that flies and is wild!!!! :-C:-C:-C

Yes, I wonder what the RSPB will think of this video?
 
I can't understand why this is permitted...In Malta Bird trapping (finch and golden plover)has just been made illegal. I taught this was because of EU regulations. Of course I am very happy about this change in maltese law but can't understand why French trappers are allowed to continue with this "hobby"...Anything I have misunderstood?


Martin
 
Can't believe this sort of thing is still going on.I am surprised there has not been more response to this thread.
 
Here is the adress on the net:

european comissions
environmental directorate
200, rue de la loi
b-1049 bruxelles
Belgium

It is sick. Please send your complaints to the adress. I will.

Malta was stopt, yet this is still going on on closer to home, towards a species in extreme decline...
 
sickening but not surprising, there are plenty of species that get hunted in France when they shouldn't be. I think I'll be drafting a letter tomorrow.
 
Hi David,

My email is on its way to Commissioner Dimas and the French government. As a child Lapwings were the first countryside birds I learned and loved. I know they are in decline in some areas of the UK. We do not need persecution on this scale by other countries.

Ann
 
My e-mail has been sent, also I have joined Proact. I feel very strongly that many species are already declining due to changes in land use, farming methods and climate. The last thing species already under pressure need is pointless hunting for the gratification of a (hopefully) small number of individuals.
 
Update - Lapwing trapping

The EU/EC published a management plan for the Lapwing in 2006 (attached as PDF). Unfortunately nothing has been done to curtail trapping and hunting of the species since then.

Currently, there are open seasons for Lapwing in France, Spain, Italy, Malta and Greece. The available data suggest an annual harvest in the order of one million birds within the EU. In addition the eggs are harvested in one province of the Netherlands. France, Italy and Spain are responsible for more than 90% of the total lapwing kills in Europe.

The Lapwing is not the only species which has rapidly declined but is still hunted in the EU. Other examples are Skylark, Snipe, Turtle-Dove, Curlew or Golden Plover.

For those interested in detail I can provide a paper on hunting bags in the EU prepared a couple of years ago by CABS (The data is just over 2 MB so too large to upload here). The official bag figures are bad enough - those who have personal experience of illegal hunting will know that the real figures are much higher.
 

Attachments

  • Lapwing_MP_September2006.pdf
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Last edited:
Status of trapping on Malta

Here is an extract from a Times of Malta article dated 1 Jan 2009:

The government said yesterday it has no plan to allow any bird trapping in 2009 but a spokesman would not specify whether the decision is a permanent one.
"No trapping season is envisaged for 2009," was the response by the government spokesman when asked whether trapping will be discontinued for good.
Informally, a senior government official said the government's stand is to stick to the deal with Brussels and not allow trapping any more.
However, when asked for a definitive official answer, the response from the Prime Minister's Office was to refer to a legal notice issued last August.
The legal notice had outlined the hunting and trapping seasons for 2008 and said that the season for trapping of finches, golden plover and song thrushes would end yesterday while trapping of turtle doves and quails ended on October 30.
Nonetheless, a spokesman for the European Commission said the EU "understands that the Maltese authorities have concluded that no further wild specimens may be captured".
Which would mean an end to trapping as from today, as was widely expected.
In fact, the Commission said it is satisfied that Malta stuck to its pre-accession deal giving the country a special concession to continue trapping for some years, despite the fact that the practice is banned in the rest of the EU.
Click to expand...

The full article is at:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090101/local/no-trapping-in-2009-but
 
I wouldnt rely on the EU they are just a corrupt bunch of zombies.
I will certainly be writing a letter, but i am not optomistic, the sad fact is no one in power seems to give a hoot about such things (and many people in daily life seems not to care also, apart from bird and wildlife lovers)

Thank you for bringing it to our attention:t:
 
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