Wildlife Research

Wildlife Conservation Research – Europe’s raptors and fish hit by poaching under lockdown

COVID-19 lockdowns have seen a spike in poaching of Europe’s protected wildlife, with birds of prey and the critically endangered sturgeon at particular risk. Falco and Carlo get excited when they find what they’re after. It might be a rotting eagle corpse, a chunk of poisoned meat, or eggs smeared with deadly toxins. The pair…

Toni Xia

Published on July 13, 2020

Comment

Wildlife Conservation Research –

COVID-19 lockdowns have seen a spike in poaching of Europe’s protected wildlife, with birds of prey and the critically endangered sturgeon at particular risk.

Falco and Carlo get excited when they find what they’re after. It might be a rotting eagle corpse, a chunk of poisoned meat, or eggs smeared with deadly toxins. The pair make up a canine wildlife crime detection unit and they hand their grizzly finds over to Hungarian conservationists. Lately, they’ve been busy.

Lockdown has been a boon for some wildlife, with animals like deer and lynx appearing in usually bustling cities. However, conservationists say with fewer potential witnesses around, there has also been a rise in the illegal shooting, trapping, and poisoning of animals.

“Wildlife crime” typically evokes images of pangolins sold in China or rhinos poached in Africa. But it’s a problem in Europe too.

Raptors at risk

In the European Union, all birds of prey are protected ; aside from a few special exemptions, it is illegal to kill these birds or disturb their nests. Yet humans remain a threat to their survival.

“Studies show that there should be about 300 hen harrier pairs in England, but there are only about 10 to 15. The reason for that is illegal persecution,” Mark Thomas, head of investigations at the UK’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, told DW.

A juvenile imperial eastern eagle soars through the skies about southeastern Hungary

The body of a red kite found poisoned in Klatovy, Czech Republic, during the lockdown in April

Many convictions for raptor persecution have been linked to the shooting industry. Birds of prey may be targeted for their perceived threat to game species such as pheasants, grouse and hares that are hunted for food or sport — or to livestock, or even pigeon fanciers’ prize birds. Egg collectors looking to add to their treasure troves are also a threat.

Thomas says that since lockdown began, reports of possible persecution jumped from a few per week to an equivalent number each day. His team has been busier than at any time in more than 20 years.

Enlisting dogs to protect eagles

Illegal killings of raptors in Hungary and Slovakia have also spiked.

Birdlife Hungary reported 77 animals — including white-tailed and eastern imperial eagles — found poisoned between January and April this year. That’s more than double the average for the past four years.

“It’s hard to tell why there is an increase, but it might be that people think the police are too busy to deal with wildlife crime right now,” Birdlife Hungary’s Márton Árvay told DW.

Birds tagged for research have gone missing under lockdown, like this red kite in the UK, shown here as a chick last year

Canine investigators Falco and Carlo with evidence of wildlife crimes in Hungary in March

Bird conservation organizations in mainland Europe increasingly use dogs to fight wildlife crime. The canine investigators sniff out carcasses and banned toxins like carbofuran, helping to bring prosecutions against poachers.

According to Raptor Protection of Slovakia , shooting and poisoning had fallen dramatically since the Slovakian police began using sniffer dogs to enforce conservation. Yet the organization has reported a rise in raptor killings during lockdown.

Working with hunters

In the UK, this wildlife crimewave is likely to fuel a long-standing debate over raptor killings.

Many conservationists want to see increased fines and prison sentences for raptor persecution. And some are calling for mandatory licensing for shooting estates — where hunters are provided with specially bred game — or even a complete ban on some forms of shooting.

An xray of a buzzard shows the shot that killed it over Manchester in the UK

Organizations representing shooting estates say they are being unfairly scapegoated. The UK’s Moorland Association told DW it has a zero-tolerance policy on raptor persecution and that land management of shooting estates helps many rare birds.

In Hungary, Árvay says until this year, raptor persecution was diminishing, in part due to the EU Helicon and PannonEagle conservation projects, which actively engage with hunters to raise awareness of these birds’ importance and research raptor-friendly ways to protect game.

Árvay says many hunters were concerned as eagle populations slowly grew, but that is changing.

“We have been working closely with hunting associations to increase habitat for game species, ensuring there is plenty of game and thus reducing conflict with raptors,” he said. “Most hunters now have a good perception of birds of prey.”

Árvay and his team hope this relationship will continue to develop after lockdown.

Illegal caviar

It’s not just birds that have been targeted in recent months. Romania, Bulgaria, and Ukraine have seen a surge in illegal fishing.

Sturgeon have been around since dinosaurs walked the Earth but are now among its most critically endangered animals. Sturgeon caviar from the Danube used to be legally sold across Europe, but dam construction and overfishing caused populations to collapse to just 1% of previous numbers.

Sturgeon have been around for millions of years, but these prehistoric survivors are now critically endangered

All sturgeon species are now protected. But Jutta Jahrl, WWF project manager for the EU Life project on Danube sturgeon says there has been a rise in poaching of the fish under lockdown.

“Unfortunately, owing to Covid-19 many people in the area are losing their jobs, and may turn to sturgeon fishing from desperation,” Jahrl told DW. “Sturgeon caviar commands a high price as a luxury good.”

As tourism and other industries ground to halt due to Covid-19, there remained no shortage of customers seeking to buy caviar on the black market.

Jahrl’s team is working to keep these ancient creatures swimming into the future by restocking the Danube with baby fish.

Meanwhile, the fate of raptors like the eastern imperial eagle lies, to some extent, in the paws of dogs like Falco and Carlo, bounding across Hungary’s great plains eager to uncover fresh crime scenes. Their handlers, however, hope their future searches will be less fruitful than over recent months.

Coronavirus and the environment: 7 changes to expect

Wildlife Conservation Research – Better air quality

As the world grinds to a halt, the sudden shutdown of most industrial activities has dramatically reduced air pollution levels. Satellite images have even revealed a clear drop in global levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a gas which is primarily emitted from car engines and commercial manufacturing plants and is responsible for poor air quality in many major cities.
Coronavirus and the environment: 7 changes to expect

Wildlife Conservation Research – CO2 emissions fall

Like NO2, carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) have also been slashed in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. When economic activity stalls, so do CO2 emissions — in fact, the last time this happened was during the 2008-2009 financial crisis. In China alone, emissions have fallen by around 25% when the country entered lockdown, according to Carbon Brief. But this change is likely to only be temporary.

The Most Powerful Sale & Affiliate Platform Available!

There's no credit card required! No fees ever.
Create Your Free Account Now!
Coronavirus and the environment: 7 changes to expect

Wildlife Conservation Research – A new world for urban wildlife

As everyone retreats to their homes, some animals have been taking advantage of our absence. Reduced road traffic means little critters like hedgehogs emerging from hibernation are less likely to be hit by cars. Meanwhile, other species like ducks may be wondering where all the people have gone and will need to find other sources of food besides breadcrumbs in the park.
Coronavirus and the environment: 7 changes to expect

Wildlife Conservation Research – Drawing attention to the global wildlife trade

Conservationists hope the coronavirus outbreak will help curb global wildlife trade, which is responsible for pushing a number of species to the brink of extinction. COVID-19 likely originated in a Wuhan wet market, which sells live produce and is a hub for both legal and illegally trafficked wildlife. A crackdown on trading live wildlife may be one positive thing to come out of the crisis.  
Coronavirus and the environment: 7 changes to expect

Wildlife Conservation Research – Waterways run clear

Shortly after Italy entered lockdown, images of crystal clear canals in Venice were shared around the world — the pristine blue waters are a far cry from their usual muddy appearance. And with cruise ships docked for the time being, our oceans are also experiencing a drop in noise pollution, lowering the stress levels of marine creatures like whales and making for a much more peaceful migration.
Coronavirus and the environment: 7 changes to expect

Wildlife Conservation Research – Plastic waste on the rise

But it’s not all good news. One of the worst environmental side-effects of the coronavirus pandemic is the rapid increase in the use of disposable plastic — from medical equipment like disposable gloves, to plastic packaging as more people opt for prepackaged foods. Even cafes that remain open no longer accept reusable cups from customers in a bid to stop the virus from spreading.
Coronavirus and the environment: 7 changes to expect

Wildlife Conservation Research – Climate crisis goes ignored (for now)

With the coronavirus dominating, the climate crisis has been pushed to the sidelines. But that doesn’t make it any less urgent. Experts are warning that important decisions regarding the climate should not be delayed — even with the UN climate conference postponed until 2021. While emissions have dropped since the pandemic began, we’re unlikely to see widespread and long-term change as a result.

Author: Ineke Mules