Author: FACE

Richard Hearn, Matthieu Guillemain & David Scallan Most ducks are popular quarry throughout Europe and, on average, their numbers have been healthy in recent decades as a result of conservation actions such as habitat management at important sites. However, several huntable duck species are now showing signs of decline, epitomised by the Common Pochard, which has declined considerably in recent years. In response, there is growing recognition of the need to improve our knowledge of the population dynamics of these species, and...

19 September, 2017 /

On 6-7 September, FACE celebrated its 40th anniversary in Brussels. The event coincided with FACE’s annual General Assembly, a high-level conference in the European Parliament and an exhibition on involving young hunters in nature conservation. In attendance was the Environment Commissioner, Karmenu Vella, the Agriculture Commissioner, Phil Hogan, numerous Members of the European Parliament, representatives from European Commission as well as the delegations of European hunting associations and a wide range of other stakeholders. Conference: “Young Hunters: Securing a future for...

14 September, 2017 /

From 18-22 July 2017, FACE attended the 29th meeting of the Animals Committee (AC) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). This was the first meeting after the Conference of the Parties (CoP), which FACE attended in Johannesburg last year. This meeting sets the priorities for the coming cycle of meetings, culminating in CoP 18 in Sri Lanka. The AC gives scientific input in all the processes involving animal species. The meeting was attended...

09 September, 2017 /

“Young Hunters: Securing a future for Europe’s biodiversity” European Parliament, 6 September 2017, Brussels Sustainable hunting is a positive force for conservation! This was one of the messages delivered by Environment Commissioner, Karmenu Vella, at the conference “Young Hunters: Securing a future for Europe’s biodiversity” on 6 September 2017 at the European Parliament. The Commissioner also pointed to the value of FACE Biodiversity Manifesto to demonstrate how Europe’s 7 million hunters contribute to delivering the goals of EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020. With a...

08 September, 2017 /

The 18th International Wildlife Law Conference will be held in Tilburg, the Netherlands, on 18-19 April 2018. The conference is being organised by Tilburg University’s Department of European and International Public Law. An optional post-conference field trip, arranged with Staatsbosbeheer, will be held on April 20, 2018. The Conference will include papers on a range of legal and policy frameworks for achieving transboundary conservation, including the various global and regional wildlife treaties and the European Union’s Nature Directives. Papers are invited...

07 September, 2017 /

On 22 June 2017, FACE attended a two day meeting (22-23 June 2017) of the Task Force in Sliema, Malta, to make progress towards eradicating the Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Wild Birds (IKB). The meeting was chaired by the Maltese Government and attended by over 80 participants from 24 countries in Europe, 17 of which are EU member states, 29 observer organisations that included NGOs, enforcement groups and networks and scientific organisations. The meeting was part of the Convention...

07 September, 2017 /

On the 18-20 August 2017, FACE was invited by Pro Sacile, the municipality of Sacile and the European Association of Traditional Hunting (AECT) to the championship of bird singing imitation in Sacile, Italy. The competition took place during the famous 744th Sagra dei Osei, the festival of birds. For many generations, incredibly talented competitors from France, Spain and Italy participate each year at this competition and perpetuate the tradition. FACE supports regional and traditional hunting activities throughout Europe as important aspects...

06 September, 2017 /

The project of this month shows how hunters from Club della Becaccia are working together with research institutions to monitor wintering Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) in protected areas in Italy since 2003. The work is undertaken by Club della Becaccia and the National Institute for Wildlife (INFS-ISPRA) in conjunction with the University of Genoa. Together, they collaborate in the monitoring design, field surveys and data analysis. Hunters play a key role in field surveys by using highly trained pointing dogs to flush...

04 August, 2017 /

Without prejudice to any further announcements/actions, the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE) feels compelled to provide clarification on certain provisions of the Birds Directive following the recent opinion of the EU Advocate General (AG) in the live-finch capturing (trapping) case (European Commission vs. Malta). Although many are already referring to this opinion as yet another excessively restrictive and possibly erroneous interpretation of certain relevant provisions of the Birds Directive, FACE would like to clarify that this is a non-binding...

27 July, 2017 /

On 22 June 2017, FACE attended a two day meeting in Sliema, Malta, to make progress towards eradicating the Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Wild Birds (IKB). The meeting was chaired by the Maltese Government and attended by over 80 participants from 24 countries in Europe, 17 of which are EU member states, 29 observer organisations that included NGOs, enforcement groups and networks and scientific organisations. The meeting was part of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Intergovernmental Task Force...

18 July, 2017 /

The conference is hosted by MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz, President of Intergroup “Biodiversity, Hunting, Countryside”, and by MEP Bendt Bendtsen, Vice-President of the Intergroup, and organised in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of FACE, the Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU With a focus on young hunters, the panel members will discuss the future of hunting in an increasingly urbanised world as well as the contribution of European hunters to the goals of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to...

14 July, 2017 /

FACE welcomes ONCFS’s guide to the ageing and sexing of common European ducks. First published in 2014, it is now available in English and can be downloaded. The guide covers the ten ducks most commonly observed, ringed and hunted in France (Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler, Garganey and Wigeon).The text is supplemented by tens of original photographs of wings and other specific plumage features for each species, with a concise text explaining which specific criteria...

11 July, 2017 /

FACE is deeply concerned following the recent detection of African swine fever (ASF) in two wild boars in the Czech Republic. The infected animals were found in Zlin, 300 km south-east of the capital Prague. It is the first reported case of this problematic disease in Czech Republic. A 10km sanitary perimeter has been established around the infected area, where wild boar hunting is prohibited and monitoring is intensified. Ludwig Willnegger, FACE Secretary General, stated: “This is another major development concerning...

06 July, 2017 /

This month, the Biodiversity Manifesto Project of the Month focuses in on the efforts of Maltese hunters and trappers who manage the Federation for Hunting & Conservation - Malta (FKNK) Hunting Reserves of Aħrax and Miżieb in order to combat forest fires and to encourage biodiversity. Since 1984 an average of 750 hunters and trappers, members of the FKNK (Malta’s FACE Members of 30 years) participate in cleaning, planting and pruning of indigenous trees in the Hunting Reserves of Aħrax...

05 July, 2017 /

On Tuesday 27 June, the conference “Perspectives on Combating Illegal Killing: The Role of Hunters”, organised by FACE, the Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU and hosted by MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz at the European Parliament in Brussels, discussed the contribution of hunters in combating illegal killing. MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz, President of the Intergroup ‘Biodiversity, Hunting, Countryside’ and Chair of the meeting, stated that: “Hunters have an important role to play in tackling illegal killing, through their involvement...

29 June, 2017 /

Brussels, 27 June 2017 – FACE welcomes that a majority of EU Member States rejected a proposal by the German Environment Ministry to introduce severe restrictions on the importation of hunting trophies for non-threatened CITES species into the European Union (Annex B species). The proposal, which was discussed on the 20-21 June in Brussels by EU Member States’ CITES representatives during closed-door meetings, was not supported due to the obvious lack of scientific evidence. It has become apparent that the proposal...

27 June, 2017 /

On the 19th of June 2017, EU Member states approved the inclusion of 12 new species to the list of Invasive Alien Species of EU concern. The additions comprise of 3 animals and 9 plants. The list counts now 49 species (new species in bold): 26 animal species: - Amur Sleeper Perccottus glenii - Asian Hornet Vespa velutina - Chinese Mitten Crab Eriocheir sinensis - Coypu Myocastor coypus - Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca - Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger - Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis - Indian House Crow Corvus...

27 June, 2017 /

FACE is sharing the stories of women hunters to learn more about their motivations, challenges and views. We thank the women hunters who have already shared their experiences with us through our questionnaire. Here’s a snapshot of Katarina Stern from Latvia. “My name is Katarina Stern. I was born in Riga, the capital of Latvia, but all my life I lived in Liepaja. My first word in this world was “horse”: I love these animals with all my heart. My other...

23 June, 2017 /

In conjunction with their national partners, FACE and WWF organised a regional workshop of the Large Carnivore Platform in Bucharest, Romania on Coexistence between people and large carnivores: Sharing good practice in monitoring and communication. Together with the Secretariat of the Platform, they brought together the different actors involved with large carnivore management in Romania. There was a great variety of presentations, with a focus on the conservation, management and monitoring of large carnivores in different European countries. The workshop aimed at...

16 June, 2017 /

From the 12-14 June, FACE attended a Stakeholder workshop hosted by Denmark for the development of an AEWA International Species Management Plan for the Barnacle Goose (East Greenland/Scotland & Ireland; Svalbard/South-west Scotland; and Russia/North-west Europe populations). The Barnacle goose has seen a remarkable increase of its population and is now creating many problems for agriculture, nature conservation and air safety. At the workshop, there was disagreement expressed by some on the legal framework for managing the Barnacle goose at the flyway level...

15 June, 2017 /

The conference, hosted by MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz, President of Intergroup “Biodiversity, Hunting, Countryside”, and organised in cooperation with FACE will take place on Tuesday 27th June at the European Parliament in Brussels. The conference “Perspectives on Combating Illegal Killing: The Role of Hunters” will discuss the contribution of hunters to combating illegal killing. It will include presentations on the illegal killing of large carnivores as defiance of authorities, solutions to dealing with illegal killing in Africa and in the Mediterranean Region,...

15 June, 2017 /

To follow up on the presentation of the EU Action Plan on Nature, People and the Economy, the European Commission, the Committee of the Regions and the Maltese Presidency jointly hosted a conference on 6 June 2017 on the EU Nature Directives Action Plan. A wide range of stakeholders came together to discuss the Plan and its implementation. FACE, together with other stakeholders, welcomed the opportunity to discuss it. The plan is ambitious and has to be achieved in a short period...

06 June, 2017 /

From the 1-3 of June, FACE attended the 12th meeting of the Group of Experts of the Bern Convention on Invasive Alien Species in Madeira (Portugal). At the meeting, Member States presented their implementation reports on the European Strategy on IAS. A number of NGOs also presented their reports and progress made on IAS. FACE’s Conservation Policy Assistant, Monia Anane, participated in this meeting and presenting the updated FACE Implementation Report of the Code of Conduct on Hunting and IAS. This included...

05 June, 2017 /

Green infrastructures have the purpose to come up against habitats fragmentation. They are natural/semi-natural areas especially created to network ecosystems and provide ecosystem services such as water purification, air quality, space for recreation and climate mitigation and adaptation. Green infrastructures are providing multiple climate change mitigation services. Examples of green infrastructures are: Corridors linking farmland habitats to enable wildlife movement and deliver food and shelter Wetlands creating resting areas for waterfowls on migration pathways Ecoducts/green bridges allowing animals to safely cross highways Hunters significantly contribute...

05 June, 2017 /

Every June, the EU Platform on Coexistence with Large Carnivores convenes in Brussels for their plenary meeting. Items on the agenda included the presentation of the case studies analysis by the Platform secretariat. The final report on the case studies will be presented next year. After that there were presentations of regional platforms dealing with large carnivores: the Alpine Convention platform, the Carpathian Convention and the Switzerland large carnivore platform. There was also some preparatory work for the regional workshop in Romania,...

02 June, 2017 /
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