Millions of birds get killed across the Mediterranean every year

Three leading organizations working to conserve birds and their habitats have raised the alarm over the scale of illegal killing and trapping of migratory birds across the Mediterranean.

Tour du Valat, EuroNatur and BirdLife International are urging governments to accelerate implementation of their commitments to reduce these practices by at least half before 2030.

They point out that millions of birds are still killed or captured illegally in the Mediterranean every year.

At this rate, states will fail to meet the international commitments set out in the Rome Strategic Plan (2020-2030).

In most of the countries concerned, nature conservation organizations are actively working to combat illegal killing, but lack the resources needed to scale up their efforts.

“The solutions already exist. Governments must now implement them at scale, notably through the implementation of National Action Plans,” they said.

Born in a woodland in northern Germany and weighing barely a few dozen grams, young European Goldfinches are preparing to embark on a journey of several thousand kilometres to spend the winter in the southern Mediterranean.

Their route is fraught with danger: migratory stopover sites are disappearing as a result of urbanization and wildfires intensified by climate change, leaving them fewer places to rest and exposing them to exhaustion and predators.

But it is another danger that will end the journey for many of these birds: trapped for their song and striking plumage, those that survive the trafficking trade are sold illegally, often ending their days in a cage at the window of a flat in Marseille or elsewhere around the Mediterranean basin. But this is far from an isolated case.

“Every year, an estimated 11 to 36 million migratory birds are killed or captured illegally across the Mediterranean.” said Barend Van Gemerden, Head of Global Flyways at BirdLife International.

“That’s why countries in the region have committed to reducing illegal killing and trapping by at least 50 percent by 2030, under the Rome Strategic Plan of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species and the Bern Convention. Now it’s time to turn that commitment into action.”

Non-Government Organizations sound the alarm over the lack of progress across the Mediterranean

Progress remains far from sufficient.

The Illegal Killing of Birds (IKB-3.0) report, published by BirdLife International and EuroNatur, paints an alarming picture:

“Halfway through the implementation of the Rome Strategic Plan, 83 percent of the 46 countries assessed have not put in place the measures needed to meet the targets,” said Dr. Justine Vansynghel, Project Manager Migratory Birds at EuroNatur.

“This gap is deeply concerning, and it shows just how much work remains to be done if governments are serious about honoring their commitments.” 

Meanwhile, after four years of monitoring across eight countries in the Mediterranean basin, the Mediterranean Waterbirds Network (MWN), confirms the persistence and diversity of threats facing migratory birds, including unregulated shooting, trapping and lead pollution.

Solutions must be tailored to local realities

The Mediterranean Waterbirds Network (MWN) monitoring reveals a mixed picture across different territories. To be effective, responses must reflect the specific realities and challenges of each country.

“This is the first time we have produced harmonized data on this issue,” says Laura Dami, Coordinator of the Mediterranean Waterbirds Network.

“At Mediterranean scale, these data highlight how much remains to be done, but they allow local organizations to develop country-specific recommendations to comply with their international commitments.”

There is reason for hope: in most of the countries concerned, partners of BirdLife, EuroNatur and MWN are already actively working to combat illegal killing and trapping.

Mediterranean Waterbirds Network organizations are developing recommendations for each of the eight countries involved in the monitoring programme.

Three key levers for action stand out: closing legal loopholes; securing sustainable funding to strengthen scientific monitoring and public awareness; and improving cooperation between public authorities, hunters and conservation organizations.

These measures are essential to turn international commitments into tangible results on the ground.

Our organizations call on governments to accelerate the fight against Illegal Killing of Birds (IKB), in accordance with their countries’ international obligations by working with all relevant stakeholders to advance the development, funding, and implementation of national action plans.

Migratory birds cross multiple countries throughout their life cycle, making coordinated action essential. Progress in one country will only be effective if similar measures are implemented across the entire flyway.