StraitsBirder
Hi Helen…interesting point…
…You are quite right but often particularly birds of prey are used for nothing more than voodoo rituals (as this bird was destined for) ….not really helping anyone ! So in this case food is not the driver.
However you raise a valid point in other situations but hunting these birds is rarely anything to do with food, take for instance the hunting of Turtle Dove in Morocco which whilst for food (but not at all necessary) these are hunts hired out for British, Spanish, French and other nationalities of hunters. Where hunting migratory birds is for a real need of food (very few true cases of this) this is unsustainable and a completely unsustainable food supply so it is better to build sustainable agricultural systems that benefit people, nature and environment.
Thanks Clive ! I’m glad your “friend” no longer invites you ! Thrush, Quail and Turtle Dove hunting here in Spain/Iberia is completely unsustainable and should be banned across Europe. In the case of the Turtle Dove there is a real possibility that we will see the end of this species as a breeding bird in many European countries! …absolutely bonkers that this hunting is not completely outlawed in The EU. As for Thrushes (particularly Song Thrush) the hills of Spain are like a war zone when these birds are migrating on mass but yet they are also suffering major declines…and Quails similarly! Sadly hunters have not proven that the can refrain voluntarily from hunting majorly declining species so outlawing the practice is urgently necessary !
…..I’ll get off my soap box now!
