Stop Italian hunters’ abuse of live birds as decoys

This video says about itself:

Birds of Sardinia, Italy

Collection of 16 birds you can see at Sardina (Sardegna) during the winter.

[Names in English, Latin and Dutch]

1. Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix) / Bonte Kraai
2. Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis) / Geelpootmeeuw
3. Rock Dove (Columba livia) / Rotsduif
4. Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor) / Zwarte Spreeuw
5. Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)
6. Eurasian Curlew, (Numenius arquata) / Wulp
7. Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) / Zilverplevier
8. Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) / Bontbekplevier
9. Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra) / Grauwe Gors
10. Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) / Putter
11. Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus) / Cirlgors
12. Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) / Zwartkop
13. Linnet male and female (Carduelis cannabina) / Kneu
14. Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) / Tjiftjaf
15. Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata) / Provençaalse Grasmus
16. Barbary Partridge (Alectoris barbara) / Barbarijse Patrijs

From BirdLife:

Italy put in hot spot as Commission calls to end live bird decoy use in hunting

By Rebecca Langer, Fri, 11/04/2014 – 14:34

Hunting practices in Italy have been put under fire recently by the European Commission due to the common hunting method involving the capture of wild birds to use as live decoys. Live decoys are illegal under EU law based on a number of reasons including the non-selectivity of trapping methods used, lack of controls and the lack of information on the number of birds caught. Due to this violation of the Birds and Habitats directive, BirdLife Partner in Italy, LIPU, is calling on the Italian government to urgently remedy the situation.

Italy has defended its inaction by claiming that there are no alternatives to the practice so the decoys are included in the exemptions to the Directive. The European Commission disputes this claim on the grounds that birds can be successfully hunted without the use of live decoys and captive bred birds can be used instead of wild caught birds.

The European Commission has made it clear that there is no future for this practice so Italy has the opportunity to minimise the adverse effects of a judgment from the European Court of Justice by providing an absolute prohibition of the use of birds as decoys. LIPU has been campaigning and gathering signatures to present to decision-makers in hopes that the government will avoid the embarrassment of a judgment and bring Italy in line with EU legislation and widely recognised good practice.

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