Page 65 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #04

AGENDA ANALYSIS

WHAT CAN
I DO?

Go wildlife
watching
in both
Croatia
and Serbia.

O Croatia
has eight
national parks,
11 naturalparks
and nu mer
and numerousous
Clockwise from confiscated other protected areas. The
above: Mate lures; a hunter
Zec, of BirdLife in Malta, where rocky karst of the Adriatic
affiliate BIOM, the illegal coast, between Zadar
destroys a bird killing of wild and Split, is home to rock
hide usedfor birds is rife; the partridges and western rock
poaching in the turtle dove is a
Neretva Delta; species targeted nuthatches, while inland of
illegally killed by hunters over the coastal ridge, the Velebit
quail and the much of Europe. Mountains near Krasno
Polje, have both three-
toed and middle spotted
woodpeckers, hazel grouse
and capercaillies.

O In Serbia, where the
Danube is joinedbythe
Sava River in Belgrade (and
a few km each side of the
city) there are breeding
ferruginous ducks,
black storksand white-
tailed eagles, and the
eagles can even be seen
in Belgrade’s centre.

O Around Mount N ght t me & qua
BirdLife Croatia, “far more are “In Serbia, many politicians, says Milan, “with Kapaonik and
taken than is permitted,and policemen and judges are ever more support Mount Tara in : M
illegal practices, such as the hunters,” saysMilan. “The from the public.” the southern
use of lures, decoys and semi- hunting lobby is very strong.” Vedran mountains, turtle dove: Wild Wonders of Europe/Nill/NPL; wa
automatic weapons, are rife.” “Croatian hunting laws are explains how look for
In both countries hunters fine,” adds Vedran, “but they they destroy wallcreepers
know thattheir activities are are not implemented,and illegal hunting (top),
illegal, but the problem goes poachers are not prosecuted. hides on bird Tengmalm’s
beyondhunting into politics. NGOs, ornithologists and reserves in the Middle spotted owls and
p
bird-lovers report cases of Neretva Delta. “We woodpeckers white-backed
canbeseen woodpeckers.
recyclethe materialsas
illegal hunting, but without
IN 2001,
in the Velebit
` ITALIAN the cooperation of police and birdfeeders and nestboxes at Mountains. O This year’s an Ruž c; coot: D rk Vorbusch/M nden/FLPA; b rd h de: Assoc at on B om; hunter: Dav d T p
workshops with local children.
local ministries, our efforts only
POLICE STOPPED produce more data.” Their response is great. In this Champions of the Flyway creeper: ManuWildTuscany/Getty; woodpecker:
A TRUCK WITH DELTA FORCE way we feel a step closer to a bird race, taking place in
future with no poaching.”
Israel, is raising money
120,702 BIRDS, Hunters may be powerful, to helpstoptheillegal
MOST OF THEM but the resolve of bird + FIND OUT MORE trapping and killing of
conservationists in the Balkans
birds in Croatia and Serbia.
KILLED ILLEGALLY is strong, too, and they claim BirdLife International’s report Follow the race and find out
The Killing: www.birdlife.
IN SERBIA.” the tide of opinion is turning. org/sites/default/files/ more at www.champions- magebroker/A amy
“Our Serbian Bird Crime Task
of-the-flyway.com
attachments/01-28_low.pdf
Force is gaining momentum,” ng/NPL;
April 2018 BBC Wildlife 65