19.07.2024

Thousands of wild chicks taken from nests and adult birds trapped in nets in Poland, transported to the Italian border and subsequently sold on to breeders who fit the birds with fake rings in an effort to make them appear as captive bred birds – before being sold on for use as live decoys for hunters who force the animals to a life of confinement and severe suffering. The huge operation was conducted by 131 Carabinieri forest police officers, as well as expert witnesses from LIPU and Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) and involved 15 raids against 14 suspects across several regions within Italy. During the raids, almost 800 thrushes, blackbirds and fieldfare were seized and a further 200 birds were found already dead. It is estimated that this illicit black-market business is worth around 15 million euro each year.

A press release (in Italian) is available here. 

15.07.2024

We had another fab time 12 - 14 July with some of the Committee Against Bird Slaughter CABS gang manning our stand at the Global Birdfair in Rutland. It’s always a pleasure to see and speak to so many like-minded people across such a broad spectrum of nature lovers, as well as catching up with friends old and new! 

We just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to the event organisers Tim Appleton and Penny Robinson and to everyone that came along and visited the stand to show support for our work on the frontline of migratory bird protection! Thanks also to Insite Graphics for sponsoring the stand and providing print materials to make the stand look great! 

Thanks to everyone who expressed interest in getting more involved with our work – either by volunteering at one of our bird protection camps, becoming a supporter member and all those that made a donation to enable our work. 

02.07.2024

The grain harvest is in full swing in the Rhineland and some fields have already been harvested. The young harrier chicks that nest on the ground are now in danger, as they have not yet fledged and often end up unseen in the combine harvester. In the Zülpicher Börde, we recorded the nesting sites in May and June together with the Biological Stations and districts and marked them in consultation with the farmers. They now leave square protection zones around the nests during the harvest where the harriers can raise their chicks. The farmers receive a compensation payment from the district authorities for not harvesting. To protect against predators, we have erected an electric fence at three of the six currently known nests. Other nests will probably manage without a fence. 

More information about the project is available here. 

25.06.2024

Without our volunteers, the work of CABS would not be possible. Our helpers from all over Europe search for trapping sites, dismantle traps and nets, rescue birds, collect evidence for criminal proceedings and guard the roosts of migratory birds. The working hours are uncomfortable and exhausting, especially for bird protection missions in the Mediterranean region: at dawn and dusk, the bird poachers have to be convicted at the trapping and hunting sites found during the day. Many poachers have also switched to the night - working hours from 10 pm to 6 am are not uncommon. And in the meantime, pictures and video recordings have to be analysed and reports written. On average, our participating bird conservationists work around 14 hours a day - around 18,000 volunteer hours a year for migratory bird conservation!

13.06.2024

In the first half of 2024, we carried out missions in eastern Spain, northern and southern Italy, Sardinia, Malta, the Greek island of Zakynthos, Cyprus and in Lebanon, with over 70 volunteers coming together from all corners of Europe and the Middle East. As a result of our fieldwork, the police have convicted 122 poachers and seized 249 traps, 153 nets, 19 hunting weapons, over 1200 rounds of ammunition and 53 decoys and rescued and released more than 400 live birds!

Read our new (first ever) Spring Report 2024 (PDF) by linking to the downloads and reports section of our website here.

Thanks for your continued support!

11.06.2024

Our campaign to protect ground-nesting Marsh and Montagu's harriers in the Zülpicher Börde region (North Rhine-Westphalia) is entering the decisive phase. After locating the breeding fields and informing the farmers in recent weeks, we are now marking the nests! This year, the barley harvest (the endangered birds of prey's favourite crop) will take place particularly early. However, most chicks will need at least another three weeks to fledge. Once we’ve marked a protective zone around the nest site, farmers will therefore have to mow around most of the nests. We have currently identified a dozen broods, but new suspected cases are being added almost daily. Interesting observations are still coming in, especially from the biological stations and local ornithologists, so we certainly have our hands full! 

07.06.2024

In the German districts of Unna and Steinfurt, persons unknown have killed two peregrine falcon families with poisoned bait. At the beginning of May, all four adult birds were found dead at breeding sites. A young bird that was still alive was taken to a vet with symptoms of poisoning, where it later also died. Back in April, a female peregrine falcon was found poisoned at another breeding site in Hagen. The banned insecticide carbofuran was detected in all six falcons and in the remains of a racing pigeon were found at a breeding site. CABS has filed a criminal complaint together with the local Peregrine Falcon Protection Group within NABU NRW (BirdLife partner). 

CABS are also offering a reward of 5000 euros for information leading to the identification of the perpetrators. More information available on our latest instagram post here.

05.06.2024

In addition to our main international bird protection camps that take place in Lebanon twice a year, our staff and partners also increasingly present workshops and seminars to raise awareness regarding the importance of environmental conservation and curbing the widespread poaching of migratory birds. Together with our partners from SPNL and MESHC, we hold events with politicians, police officers, local government officials, mayors, hunters and at schools. The focus of the training is on methods for documenting crimes, enforcement and education projects at a community level. A key concern is to also highlight the significance of the Cedar State as a migratory bottleneck for millions of migratory birds. Last week, CABS staff and our joint Anti-Poaching Unit spoke to around 50 students in the northern Bekaa Valley at the invitation of a school.

19.05.2024

In the last three months, CABS has carried out 10 operations across 6 different countries in the Mediterranean region. Around 80 participants from across Europe helped to convict 122 poachers - 253 bird traps, 153 nets, 53 electronic decoys, 19 shotguns and 1200 rounds of ammunition were seized and around 400 birds were freed alive from various trapping devices. The poachers are now packing up, and so our teams of Bird Guards are doing the same. The return of the first bird trappers is expected again in August, when our bird protection camps will commence once again. Thank you to all helpers, the police and game wardens and of course our sponsors for their great support this spring!