Illegal killing, trapping and trade of birds 14 October 2011 Still a matter of concern Open file in the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention for > 15 years (11/2009) Illegal trapping, killing, trade, egg-picking, poisoning, stuffing… International dimension Primarily a responsibility for MSs Law enforcement issue But action at international level relevant Migratory species, international trade… Co-operation with the Bern Convention Dialogue with FACE and BirdLife International International conference organized by the Secretariat of the Bern Convention in Cyprus (07/2011)

Illegal killing, trapping and trade of birds 14 October 2011 Illegal killing, trapping and trade of birds International Conference (Cyprus, 06-08/2011) Attended by Contracting parties, Nature conservation and hunting organizations, experts, enforcement agencies… Objective: Identifying the extent of the problem and priorities, providing an overview of the enforcement mechanisms, examining options to improve compliance, sharing best practices… “Positive focus” aimed at solving problems Presentations from CY, ES, FR, IT, MT, SK,UK… Constructive atmosphere

Illegal killing, trapping and trade of birds 14 October 2011 Illegal killing, trapping and trade of birds Main conclusions of the conference: Encouraging experiences but still a lot of important concerns (e.g. poisoning, illegal trapping and trade) Often more related to organized crime than to an old tradition Multi-dimensional problem with ecological, legal, economic, social… aspects Adverse impact on conservation, legal hunting, tourism… No one-fits-all solution Zero tolerance stance shared by everybody Collaboration with NGOs can help Need for “soft” measures: awareness-raising, training, information sharing, political support, dialogue with stakeholders… monitoring and reporting systems for illegal activities, prioritize action in hotspots… Need for “hard” measures: strengthen law enforcement at each stage of the “crime chain” Strong deterrent sanctions needed => Awareness-raising of judges and prosecutors needed

Illegal killing, trapping and trade of birds 14 October 2011 Illegal killing, trapping and trade of birds Larnaca declaration: Measures to tackle illegal killing urgently required Need for law enforcement, education and political support Call on involved parties to pledge for a zero tolerance and to act proactively Draft recommendation to be submitted to the 31st meeting of the Standing committee: General: Develop communication strategies promoting dialogue between all concerned parties Legal aspects Apply a zero tolerance approach Strengthen enforcement at each stage of the “bird crime chain”, including “end-users” Co-ordinate efforts between concerned parties to streamline enforcement at all levels Biological aspects Improve the knowledge base Establish a systematic monitoring and reporting system of illegal activities Prioritise action in hotspots and break down the link between the demand for birds and the supply Ensure the effective management of protected areas Social/cultural/educational aspects Strengthen the capacity of the enforcement and judicial authorities

Illegal killing, trapping and trade of birds 14 October 2011 Illegal killing, trapping and trade of birds Which action at EU-level (in addition to MSs’ action)? Better characterize the issue and get MSs’ views => on-going contract Collect and share best practices => on-going contract EU-TWIX tool (EU Trade in Wildlife Information eXchange) = internet-based tool to facilitate information exchange and co-operation between law enforcement officials. Are MSs interested? LIFE+ projects (already good examples) Awareness-raising, capacity building and sharing best practices: Topic proposed to the EU Forum of Judges for the Environment for their annual conference Training session for judges co-organized by EC with EIPA on Criminal Law in environmental issues (2012). “Illegal killing” = one of the items to be addressed. Topic to be possibly proposed to the EU network of prosecutors for a future seminar