I had a look at the winning pics of this year's World Press Photo awards and couldn't believe my eyes as the first prize in the "Nature" category is a story about falconry.
While the first three photos are about the decline of Saker falcons in Mongolia, all the others depict falconers with their captive birds, some of them tied to their posts and being fed supposedly captive-bred Houbara Bustards.
I have no idea what this has to do with "nature", and we all know that even if some or most falconry birds are captive-bred, falconers still need to plunder nests. This is an ongoing and lucrative practice that is depleting wild populations of some species in Europe, the Middle East and the Arab countries.
I had somehow forgotten that the barbaric practice of falconry had attained Cultural Heritage Status, and I find it disgraceful. I wonder if the birding/conservation organisations could do something to lobby UNESCO to withdraw its support to this medieval practice. After all I don't think that every practice that comes from the Middle Ages is worth preserving for future generations (think about stoning in Brunei - then first thing that comes to mind).
I ma posting below the caption of the story on the WPP site. Honestly I think that while it may be possible that captive breeding of falcons has reduced the impact on wild populations, having given falconry a World Heritage status has given this, I repeat BARBARIC, practice a legitimacy that it doesn't deserve, given the impact it still has on several species.
This is what it says on the WPP website, I wish there was a way to comment but there isn't. Maybe writing to the WPP, and copying UNESCO could be an idea, or an online petition. Any suggestions?
"The millennia-old practice of falconry is experiencing an international resurgence, especially as a result of efforts in the Arab world. UNESCO now recognises falconry as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (ICH), a status enjoyed by no other hunting sport. Falcons bred in captivity have helped diminish the trade in captured wild birds, including some species that are listed as endangered. But some falcons in the wild continue to be at risk from capture and other anthropogenic factors such as electrocution on badly designed powerlines, habitat degradation and agrochemicals. Similarly, although the breeding of birds such as houbara bustards for prey has made hunting a more sustainable practice, the British Ornithologists’ Union reported that the wild houbara population continued to decline.
While the first three photos are about the decline of Saker falcons in Mongolia, all the others depict falconers with their captive birds, some of them tied to their posts and being fed supposedly captive-bred Houbara Bustards.
I have no idea what this has to do with "nature", and we all know that even if some or most falconry birds are captive-bred, falconers still need to plunder nests. This is an ongoing and lucrative practice that is depleting wild populations of some species in Europe, the Middle East and the Arab countries.
I had somehow forgotten that the barbaric practice of falconry had attained Cultural Heritage Status, and I find it disgraceful. I wonder if the birding/conservation organisations could do something to lobby UNESCO to withdraw its support to this medieval practice. After all I don't think that every practice that comes from the Middle Ages is worth preserving for future generations (think about stoning in Brunei - then first thing that comes to mind).
I ma posting below the caption of the story on the WPP site. Honestly I think that while it may be possible that captive breeding of falcons has reduced the impact on wild populations, having given falconry a World Heritage status has given this, I repeat BARBARIC, practice a legitimacy that it doesn't deserve, given the impact it still has on several species.
This is what it says on the WPP website, I wish there was a way to comment but there isn't. Maybe writing to the WPP, and copying UNESCO could be an idea, or an online petition. Any suggestions?
"The millennia-old practice of falconry is experiencing an international resurgence, especially as a result of efforts in the Arab world. UNESCO now recognises falconry as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (ICH), a status enjoyed by no other hunting sport. Falcons bred in captivity have helped diminish the trade in captured wild birds, including some species that are listed as endangered. But some falcons in the wild continue to be at risk from capture and other anthropogenic factors such as electrocution on badly designed powerlines, habitat degradation and agrochemicals. Similarly, although the breeding of birds such as houbara bustards for prey has made hunting a more sustainable practice, the British Ornithologists’ Union reported that the wild houbara population continued to decline.
