Latest news with #BirdsDirective
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- General
- RTÉ News
Crucial areas for conserving Irish seabirds identified by BirdWatch Ireland
A map identifying the 73 most important areas for Ireland's seabirds is being launched by BirdWatch Ireland. The wildlife NGO used the international criteria outlined by BirdLife International to identify the most crucial areas used by seabirds in Ireland. Areas designated using this criteria, for Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs), are recognised by the European Court of Justice and the European Commission as sites that should be designated by Special Protection Areas by EU member states. The map identifies 73 important areas for Ireland's sea birds, 49 of which are colony/breeding areas and 24 of which are marine areas used by birds for feeding and wintering. A total of 41 of the colony areas are already designated as Special Protection Areas (SPAs). While two areas of the marine have been identified by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) as potential SPAs. These are in the northwest Irish Sea and in the sea off Wexford. Jim Wilson has been observing the birds on the Old Head of Kinsale in Cork for more than 50 years. Mr Wilson described the location as a noisy place due to being in the middle of breeding season, with the sounds of Kittiwakes and other birds including guillemots and razorbills. However, he has noticed that the numbers of Kittiwakes are dwindling at the Old Head of Kinsale at "an alarming rate". The numbers of auk, guillemot and razorbill are also decreasing. He said protecting the sea areas for birds where they hunt is "something we need to do fast". IBAs are not a legal protection mechanism but are used to inform the designation of SPAs for birds under the EU Birds Directive. These Irish sites now form part of a global network of IBAs across 243 countries. Ireland is legally obliged to designate areas that protect the lifecycle of birds as SPAs under Article 4 of the Birds Directive, which is an EU legislation. Ireland has had designated areas for the protection of birds since 1998. A total of 24 species of breeding seabirds are hosted by Ireland's marine area, with 23 of them under a red or amber conservation status. Ireland has committed to designate 30% of its seawaters as marine protected areas by 2030. Around 9.8% have this designation. If all IBAs identified by BirdWatch Ireland on this list were designated as SPAs, that would bring the total are covered up to 17.5%. BirdWatch Ireland said it is conservative in its designation and the areas identified are the most crucial ones for Irish seabirds. Ireland's marine waters represent 8% of the total marine area of the European Union's marine area. Issues impacting the birds include a lack of protection at breeding and colony sites, bird flu, overfishing, predation by invasive species, marine pollution and climate change. Ireland began designating marine SPAs three years ago. Less than 2% of Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone, the offshore area it has jurisdiction over living and non-living resources, is designated for seabirds. The expansion of human activities at sea, including the development of offshore wind projects, pose potential future threats to the birds. BirdWatch Ireland is calling on the Irish Government to designate the areas identified by the NGO as crucial for seabirds as SPAs. They are also calling for management plans to be developed for all SPAs so that conservation efforts can be measured and for funding to measure the potential impact of offshore renewable energy projects on Irish seabirds.
MTV Lebanon
12-02-2025
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
EU sues France over bird hunting with nets
The European Commission said on Wednesday it is taking France to the EU Court of Justice after the country ignored repeated warnings over failing to ban bird hunting with nets. It said France still authorises the use of horizontal and vertical nets to catch certain bird species in five departments in Southwest France, despite the EU Bird Directive's ban on large-scale, non-selective capture methods, the Commission said. "The use of nets to capture birds is prohibited, unless member states meet the strict criteria for derogation allowed under the directive, but France has failed to demonstrate that the disputed nets meet those criteria," it said in a statement. The Commission has sent repeated warnings to France, in 2019, 2020 and 2023, and said that efforts by the French authorities have to date been insufficient. Therefore it is referring France to the Court of Justice of the European Union. The French environment and agriculture ministries did not respond to a request for comment. The EU's Birds Directive aims to protect all species of wild birds that occur naturally in the EU and bans activities that directly threaten them such as deliberate killing or capture, destruction of nests and removal of eggs, and associated activities such as trading in live or dead birds. Yves Verhilhac of the French Bird Protection League said that for decades, successive French governments have ignored EU bird protection directives and have used every possible avenue to circumvent EU legislation to protect birds and wildlife in general. "What is happening in France is catastrophic, lawmakers fail to resist populism and cave in to the hunters' and farmers' lobbies. We are tired and on the ropes, and the EU is our only hope," he said. In an earlier bird protection case, the EU Court of Justice in 2021 ruled that the traditional French practice of trapping songbirds with glue was illegal and could not be authorised by the state.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EU sues France over bird hunting with nets
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Wednesday it is taking France to the EU Court of Justice after the country ignored repeated warnings over failing to ban bird hunting with nets. It said France still authorises the use of horizontal and vertical nets to catch certain bird species in five departments in Southwest France, despite the EU Bird Directive's ban on large-scale, non-selective capture methods, the Commission said. "The use of nets to capture birds is prohibited, unless member states meet the strict criteria for derogation allowed under the directive, but France has failed to demonstrate that the disputed nets meet those criteria," it said in a statement. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. The Commission has sent repeated warnings to France, in 2019, 2020 and 2023, and said that efforts by the French authorities have to date been insufficient. Therefore it is referring France to the Court of Justice of the European Union. The French environment and agriculture ministries did not respond to a request for comment. The EU's Birds Directive aims to protect all species of wild birds that occur naturally in the EU and bans activities that directly threaten them such as deliberate killing or capture, destruction of nests and removal of eggs, and associated activities such as trading in live or dead birds. Yves Verhilhac of the French Bird Protection League said that for decades, successive French governments have ignored EU bird protection directives and have used every possible avenue to circumvent EU legislation to protect birds and wildlife in general. "What is happening in France is catastrophic, lawmakers fail to resist populism and cave in to the hunters' and farmers' lobbies. We are tired and on the ropes, and the EU is our only hope," he said. In an earlier bird protection case, the EU Court of Justice in 2021 ruled that the traditional French practice of trapping songbirds with glue was illegal and could not be authorised by the state.
Reuters
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
EU sues France over bird hunting with nets
BRUSSELS, Feb 12 (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Wednesday it is taking France to the EU Court of Justice after the country ignored repeated warnings over failing to ban bird hunting with nets. It said France still authorises the use of horizontal and vertical nets to catch certain bird species in five departments in Southwest France, despite the EU Bird Directive's ban on large-scale, non-selective capture methods, the Commission said. "The use of nets to capture birds is prohibited, unless member states meet the strict criteria for derogation allowed under the directive, but France has failed to demonstrate that the disputed nets meet those criteria," it said in a statement. The Commission has sent repeated warnings to France, in 2019, 2020 and 2023, and said that efforts by the French authorities have to date been insufficient. Therefore it is referring France to the Court of Justice of the European Union. The French environment and agriculture ministries did not respond to a request for comment. The EU's Birds Directive aims to protect all species of wild birds that occur naturally in the EU and bans activities that directly threaten them such as deliberate killing or capture, destruction of nests and removal of eggs, and associated activities such as trading in live or dead birds. Yves Verhilhac of the French Bird Protection League said that for decades, successive French governments have ignored EU bird protection directives and have used every possible avenue to circumvent EU legislation to protect birds and wildlife in general. "What is happening in France is catastrophic, lawmakers fail to resist populism and cave in to the hunters' and farmers' lobbies. We are tired and on the ropes, and the EU is our only hope," he said. In an earlier bird protection case, the EU Court of Justice in 2021 ruled that the traditional French practice of trapping songbirds with glue was illegal and could not be authorised by the state.
