Wildlife

Wild Bird Illegal Trapping Mediterranean Welfare

Illegal songbird trapping in Mediterranean countries causes enormous suffering to billions of birds during migration.

Key Facts

An estimated 25 million birds are illegally killed annually in Mediterranean region
Lime stick and mist net trapping causes injury, stress, and often death
Captured birds are sold for food or kept as caged songbirds
Cyprus, Malta, and Italy have high rates of documented illegal trapping

Welfare Considerations

Trapped wild birds suffer from the capture process, confinement, handling, and often transport or killing. The scale of Mediterranean bird trapping represents one of the largest acute wildlife welfare problems in Europe.

What You Can Do

Support BirdLife International and Committee Against Bird Slaughter campaigns
Avoid countries' wildlife tourism while supporting their conservation efforts
Lobby UK and EU governments to prioritise tackling illegal bird trapping