Every day 547 birds lose their lives at the hands of hunters. Referendum calls for an end to recreational bird hunting in Austria.
Vienna (OTS) – When you think of bird hunting, you might first think of the Mediterranean region, but in Austria too, around 200,000 birds are shot by hunters or killed in traps every year. (1) Of these, around 40% belong to species that cannot be hunted at all. Exception permits are killed. And these are just the official numbers. Sufficient reasons for this hobby hunting of birds are usually lacking. The referendum “For a federal hunting law” calls for a federal hunting law based on ecology and animal protection that massively reduces the hunting of birds.
The hotspots for bird hunting are Upper and Lower Austria. Almost two thirds of the birds killed by hunters in Austria die in these two federal states. On average over the last three years available, there were around 68,800 birds in Upper Austria and around 62,500 in Lower Austria. (1) In relation to the population, however, Burgenland is clearly ahead, with twice as many birds killed per inhabitant as in Upper Austria.
“200,000 birds is easy to say, but that means 200,000 times avoidable suffering for fellow sentient creatures. And this does not include the illegal shooting, the starving young of parent birds shot during the breeding season and, above all, the many birds injured by shot that later slowly die,” emphasizes Prof. Dr. Rudolf Winkelmayer, representative of the referendum “For a Federal Hunting Law”.
As is unfortunately common in Austria, it varies from state to state which bird species can be killed and when. The selection is completely arbitrary. It also doesn’t matter whether the species in question are endangered (Turteltaube, Table duck, partridge, Bekassine etc.) or whether they are protected under EU law (e.g jay). Bird hunting doesn’t even stop before the breeding season. Whether hooded crows and carrion crows in Lower Austria in March, Turks and wood pigeons in Upper Austria in April or black grouse and capercaillie in May. Also Traps prohibited by EU law are used. And some birds (especially mallards and the non-native pheasants) are specially bred and released so that they can then be shot.
„What is wrong with a society that shrugs off such slaughter of birds?
“, asks Prof. Dr. Winkelmayer. “With our referendum we will do everything we can to make Austria a country where birds are safe from shotguns and traps. Please support us in this!
“
The referendum “For a Federal Hunting Act” has 14 principles formulated, which are to be implemented in a federal hunting law. The initiative from the ASSOCIATION AGAINST TIERFABRIKEN, Tierschutz Austria, AG Wild Animals and the Ecological Hunting Association is currently promoting declarations of support for the referendum, which all people eligible to vote in Austria can make at any district or municipal office and online around the clock using ID Austria.
Press photos (Copyright: VGT.at)
(1) Those: Hunting statistics Statistics Austria as well as Reports from Austria according to Article 9 of the Birds Directive for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021
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