Protest against spring hunting in Greece
30.04.2026
This spring, we are supporting our hard-working teams on the ground in their dangerous work with a protest campaign. Together with our partner organisation BirdLife Greece - Ornithologiki, we have sent over 10,000 protest postcards to the mayor of Zakynthos. Yesterday, we handed over some of the postcards at the mayor’s office to make it clear once again in person that we will not give in or let up.
Our call for greater support from the authorities is certainly falling on fertile ground: proof of this comes from the participants in the bird protection camp on the holiday island, who, together with the police and game wardens, have already caught 16 poachers engaging in illegal spring hunting since the beginning of April!
Read todays joint Press Release in full here.
Action against bird trappers in Malta
27.04.2026
Over the past few days, participants in the Committee’s bird protection camp in Malta have taken targeted action against illegal bird trapping. Whilst in March poachers mainly targeted finches such as linnets and goldfinches, in late spring their focus has shifted to pipits, ortolans and turtle doves, which are highly sought after as live decoy birds. During our investigations on the west coast and on the neighbouring island of Gozo, the authorities have apprehended six offenders. Five pairs of clap-nets and a trapping cage were seized, as were seven tree pipits, four ortolans, a short-toed lark and two unidentified finches. Criminal proceedings have been initiated against the offenders, and the birds have been released.
The bird protection campaign in Malta, which began in early March, will continue until the end of next week.
Illegal Turtle dove hunting in Malta
21.04.2026
As spring bird migration in Malta is reaching its seasonal peak illegal poaching has escalated in lockstep with the numbers of birds arriving. In breach of EU law, the Maltese government’s 2026 spring quail season continues to serve as a "smokescreen" for illegal turtle dove hunting. Monitoring teams estimate that two-thirds of shots target these endangered birds from hidden groves rather than quail in open fields. Recent CABS reports led to three arrests by the Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) - including poachers in Marsakala, Girgenti, and Mosta. Despite these enforcement successes, spring hunting in Malta remains largely out of control.
Read todays full Press Release here.
Organised Poaching Rings Under Fire in Zakynthos
23.04.2026
The Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) has struck a massive blow against organised poaching rings on the Vasilikos peninsula. Despite the use of sophisticated "spotter" networks, activists and game wardens successfully dismantled a major hilltop poaching site, seizing 5 hidden shotguns and nearly 500 rounds of ammunition.
This latest operation brings the total to 14 poachers caught red-handed or identified since the protection camp began on April 11th. With the European Turtle Dove currently facing a "massacre" during its peak migration, CABS is calling on the government for urgent reinforcements and better equipment to combat these organised crimes before this protected species is driven to extinction.
Read our full Press Release on the case here.
Buzzard shot in Germany – €1,000 reward for information
22.04.2026
An injured buzzard was found on Asdonkstraße in the north-east of Kamp-Lintfort (Wesel district, North Rhine-Westphalia) and taken to the NABU Wesel bird of prey rescue centre. During an examination of the bird, a vet discovered several shotgun pellets – the bird had been shot. The Lower Rhine region is one of the hotspots for illegal bird of prey persecution in Germany; since 2005 alone, we have recorded more than 170 cases in this region. NABU Wesel and the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) have offered a reward of €1,000 for information leading to the identification of the perpetrator.
Find out more about CABS work against raptor persecution in Germany here.
Warbler poachers caught in Lebanon
20.04.2026
North of the coastal town of Byblos lies a hotspot for bird songbird trapping in Lebanon. Teams from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter and our partners at MECSHAP managed to catch three bird poachers here within a week. The men had set up limesticks on bushes specially trimmed for this purpose in the coastal scrubland and installed decoys playing electronic warbler songs. Local police and security forces arrived quickly on the scene despite the current situation in the country. Two individuals are known to the police, and criminal proceedings have been initiated. The officers seized a total of 164 limesticks, three decoys and 76 birds, some of which had already been plucked (mainly Eurasian warblers and blackcaps).
Stork slaughter in Lebanon - 24 shot sorks discovered
06.04.2026
The migration of white storks is now largely complete – time for a brief interim report from the bird protection camp. The joint operation between CABS and our partner MECSHAP has now been underway for three weeks. Due to heavy rainfall, hunting was impossible for almost a week, allowing many birds to fly over the country unhindered. All in all, our teams encountered only a few isolated poachers and otherwise mainly flew the flag to deter offenders. The discovery of dead storks indicates that hunting did take place in isolated instances. In the area around the city of Tripoli we found the remains of a total of 24 white storks and reported them to the police. The operation will continue until the end of April.
Red more about our campaign in Lebanon here
Malta Greenlights 2026 Spring Hunting Season
01.04.2026
This week the Ornis Committee has officially voted to recommend opening Malta’s 2026 spring hunting season, with quail hunting set for 13 April to 3 May and turtle dove hunting from 20 April to 3 May. National bag limits are proposed to remain at 2025 levels - 1,500 turtle doves and 2,400 quail - while a controversial "scientific" trapping derogation for turtle doves has also been put forward. Despite the committee's vote, the move has ignited strong criticism that the decision prioritises political interests over the protection of a species in clear decline.
CABS teams are already on the ground and monitoring passage of protected species and general hunting compliance as the recommendation moves toward final government approval. Find out more about our Malta campaign here.
Raid on Malta and Gozo – Bird trapper kicks kestrel to death
24.03.2026
Within just 10 days, CABS teams have uncovered numerous cases of illegal bird trapping across the archipelago. As a result, 13 poachers have been caught so far, 56 live birds were rescued and 20 illegal mist nets were seized by the police.
Particularly shocking is the filmed killing of a strictly protected kestrel on Gozo. Our footage shows how a poacher first catches the bird with his clap-net, then stamps it to death and finally throws it away like rubbish. The cameras also captured the man feigning physical discomfort to distract the police whilst he hid evidence – presumably an illegal decoy – in a nearby bean field. You can find our video on YouTube here.
Read our latest Press Release here.
Your Donation Makes a Difference!
Your donation will enable us to fund our campaigns and bird protection camps throughout Europe, to keep up the fight for migratory birds. CABS is almost exclusively financed with private donations, from nature and animal lovers, as well as foundations and nature conservation associations. In order to stay independent, we do not receive public funds and we refuse business sponsorships. CABS is recognised as non-profit, thus, donations are tax-deductible. For a donation of 25 € or more, you will receive a donation receipt at the beginning of the following year.
