Massacre of protected birds in Hungary
Copyright 2001 WWF
November 20, 2001
Budapest, Hungary - Some 11'800 dead birds - all protected species - were discovered a few days ago in a truck trying to cross the Hungarian border, en route to Italy.
This is an unprecedented seizure, though there have been several examples of Italian hunters seriously violating the Nature Protection Act and the hunting regulations in Hungary over the past few years, resulting in the killing of thousands of protected birds.
Usually, the poached birds are either stuffed, and sold as valuable trophies - if they are rare species - or sold to Italian restaurants.
The birds seized in the truck were mainly quails, skylarks and pipits but strictly protected species such as ferruginous duck, corncrakes and curlews were also found.
Experts are convinced that only a well-organised network is capable of poaching, traping - most likely using illegal tools - and storing such a quantity of birds over a long period of time, before attempting to smuggle them.
Normally, hunters from foreign countries must be accompanied by a Hungarian guard and are only allowed to shoot the prey that is indicated on their permit. Therefore, it is certain that this massacre of birds was committed with the help of Hungarian hunters.
The value of the 11'800 protected birds amounts to approximately 1 million US dollars, but it would have increased significantly if the birds had been traded.
In the past, similar criminal acts by Italian hunters have also occurred in other countries of Eastern Europe, such as Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Montenegro and Poland, as well as in Turkey.
"It cannot be tolerated that our common European natural heritage is threatened by selfish interests either in the European Union or in an Accession Country," said László Haraszthy, Director of WWF Hungary.
WWF Hungary, together with other Hungarian environmental NGOs, such as Birdlife Hungary and the National Society of Conservationists, organized a silent demonstration at the Italian Embassy, and sent a petition to the Italian Ambassador calling for a cessation of these criminal activities.
For further information please contact:Imola Bíró, WWF-Hungary, tel: + 36 1 214 55 54, e-mail: imola.biro@wwf.hu