Tens of millions of migratory birds are illegally killed or trapped annually in Mediterranean countries, particularly Cyprus, Malta, Egypt, and Lebanon, as they pass between breeding and wintering grounds.
Birds caught on lime sticks struggle violently, damaging feathers and causing stress until captured or released. Trapped birds die of stress, heat, or dehydration. Shooting results in wounding and slow deaths when birds are not retrieved. The cumulative welfare impact of tens of millions of illegal kills annually is enormous even for species that remain abundant.