The referendum “For a Federal Hunting Law” calls for a nationwide ban on trapping
Killing highly intelligent corvids just because some hunters see them as supposed competition is yesterday’s news and completely unacceptable from an animal ethical point of view! Once again it becomes clear that hunting law cannot and must not remain at the state level.
Prof. Dr. Rudolf Winkelmayer
Vienna (OTS) – Reports of bird traps are currently increasing in Lower Austria. In the Korneuburg district, three magpies were found in a type of trap not approved in Lower Austria, one of which was already dead. In the Amstetten district, two carrion crows were found in a “crow trap” that were illegally used as decoys with their flight feathers cut off. Trapping is illegal in several ways and is particularly cruel as it subjects animals to severe suffering and fear. The state and districts are responsible.
In a report from March 14, 2024 in the municipality of Hagenbrunn, Korneuburg district, one of three captured magpies had already died in agony. The other two tried desperately to escape from the cages and were ultimately given their freedom back by the finder. Magpies are protected songbirds that cannot be hunted. Some federal states (Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Salzburg) issue “exception” regulations for the killing of magpies. However, the “Small Elsternfang” type trap used in Hagenbrunn is not permitted in Lower Austria (it is in Upper Austria). What is particularly relevant to animal welfare is that the magpies are currently already in the breeding season. To make matters worse, birds are caught during their reproductive period and can be trapped for up to 24 hours if the trap is checked once a day. The clutches or small young animals, including those of other bird species, that end up in the trap are unlikely to survive this long absence of a parent.(1)
Another, equally tragic report comes from March 16, 2024 from Oberaschbach in the Amstetten district. There, two walkers found a “Norwegian crow trap” with two mutilated carrion crows, which are also not huntable species. The animals had their flight feathers cut off to make them unable to fly. They were apparently set into the traps as decoys, which violates federal animal protection law. Birds that are injured or whose feathers are damaged during their stay in the trap have little chance of survival after being released. A flightless, extremely emaciated carrion crow found by the walkers died on the same day in the care of the Amstetten Animal Welfare Association after all the hardships. The fact that hunting of carrion crows is permitted during the breeding season in March and that non-selective crow trapping, which is prohibited by EU law, is permitted in Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Carinthia represents a double violation of EU law.
These cases exemplify all the current grievances in dealing with corvids. Instead of guaranteeing their protection, they are being persecuted fanatically and unjustifiably with the approval of the state authorities. Approximately 64,000 (!) hooded crows and carrion crows, 9,900 magpies and 6,700 jays are killed in Austria every year. (2) In order to make this possible for hunters, the countries seem prepared to accept any breach of the law: their regulations are violated against the Animal Protection Act and several times against EU law (killing of non-huntable species without valid justification, hunting during the breeding season, use of non-selective traps). The state governments are making this possible through another breach of the law: the failure to implement the Aarhus Convention, which provides for access to courts for recognized environmental organizations.
States and districts bear full responsibility for this. Prof. Dr. Rudolf Winkelmayer, representative of the referendum “For a Federal Hunting Law” and former official veterinarian, makes it clear: “Killing highly intelligent corvids just because some hunters see them as supposed competition is yesterday’s news and completely unacceptable from an animal ethical point of view! Once again it becomes clear that hunting law cannot and must not remain at the state level.
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If you also find a trap (whether with caught animals or not), please report it to the Referendum for a federal hunting law at kontakt(ät)bundesjagdgesetz.at and take photos as evidence.
The referendum “For a Federal Hunting Law” calls for a ban on cruel trapping and hunting methods! Animal species that can be hunted should be defined according to ecological criteria and not according to antipathy on the part of hunters. The referendum can be signed by all people eligible to vote in Austria at any municipal office and online around the clock using ID Austria.
Press photos (Copyright: VGT.at)
(1) Nordic crow traps (19.03.24)
(2) Reports from Austria according to Art. 9 Birds Directive for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021, (03/19/24)
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