Bird trapping with 'clap-nets' in Spain
The use of nets to catch birds was been allowed in Spain until 2018 through a special derogation. Many of the previously licensed bird-trappers do not comply with the ban and remain active as poachers. Regions in eastern and southern Spain are particularly affected. Traditionally there are two main trapping seasons: in late summer and in late autumn.
The trapping sites (known locally as 'enfilat') consist of two nets lying horizontally parallel on the ground, which are kept under tension with springs. They are usually 10 to 20 metres long. Between the two nets there is an open area on which food or water is spread or on which caged decoy birds are placed. A bird trapper is hidden not far from the trapping point triggers the nets manually when birds gather on the open area. The net then spring over the birds. The is much the same as the trapping with clap nets we observe on a regular basis on Malta.
The Spanish bird-trappers target finches like linnet and goldfinch. The permits granted annually until 2018 were granted only for the capture of cage birds. In reality, however, only the young caught in late summer are used as house birds, while the birds caught in autumn are caught almost exclusively for consumption.
During our bird protection camps in eastern Spain, our CABS team concentrate mainly on the working against poaching with limesticks. It was rare for nets to be found and reported. Only since 2018 have we had the resource to regularly inspect areas where nets are also widely used.