Bird trapping and hunting in France

While the minimum standards for the protection of migratory birds prescribed by the European Union are increasingly respected throughout Europe, In France, 1.3 million hunters and bird trappers are fiercely opposed to any restriction of the hunting rights that were won during the French Revolution. Bird-trapping, spring hunting for returning migratory birds, hunting during the breeding season and autumn hunting that is completely rampant – is still a matter of course in many French departments today. 

Many species such as skylark and Ortolan are increasingly threatened by the relentless bird-trapping traditions in the Ardennes and southern France. Grilled songbirds flambéed with Armagnac brandy are considered gourmet delicacies even amongst top French politicians. With the support of the European Parliament and the European Commission, conservationists from all over Europe want to force the state government in Paris to fully transpose the EU Birds Directive, which has been in force since 1979, into national law. France's environmental movement is also gaining momentum. While the number of hunters has been slowly but steadily declining for years, environmental awareness is increasingly popular.

The main Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) focus in France is gathering evidence against the hunting and trapping derogations which are still approved in many parts of France. We use the evidence of violations collected during our field investigations and bird protection camps to make targeted protest campaigns to lobby the French government and push for infringement procedures from the European Commission.