This Group monitors the compliance of Parties with the provisions related to bird conservation, including migratory birds, and informs the Committee on the progress in the implementation of the species action plans so far endorsed.

It further identifies other species requiring specific action plans and proposes measures that may be appropriate for the conservation of threatened birds. Among its priorities, the Group of Experts is leading European work against the illegal killing, trapping and trade of wild birds.

(Photo credit: Ivana d’Alessandro)

Meetings
September/ October (tbc) (tbc)

Group of experts on the conservation of birds (back-to-back with the joint meeting of SFPs on IKB & CMS MIKT)

9-10 June 2022 Valencia, Spain

7th meeting of Group of Experts on the Conservation of Birds

7-9 June 2022 Valencia, Spain

4th joint Bern Convention - CMS meeting on Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Wild Birds

9-11 June 2021 (Virtual meeting)

3rd Joint Bern Convention - CMS Meeting on Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Wild Birds

8-10 May 2019 Rome, Italy

2nd Joint Meeting of the Bern Convention Network of Special Focal Point on Eradication of Illegal Killing, Trapping and Trade in Wild Birds and the UN-Environment/CMS Intergovernmental Task Force on Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean

22-23 June 2017 Sliema, Malte

1st Joint Meeting of the Bern Convention Network of Special Focal Points on Eradication of Illegal Killing, Trapping and Trade in Wild Birds (Bern SFPs Network) and the CMS Intergovernmental Task Force on Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean (MIKT)

21 June 2017 Sliema, Malta

6th meeting of the Group of Experts on the Conservation of Wild Birds

14-15 April 2016 Tirana, Albania

3rd Meeting of the Special Focal Points for Illegal killing, trapping and trade of wild birds

12-13 October 2015 Strasbourg, France

5th Meeting of the Group of Experts on the Conservation of Birds

24-25 February 2015 Madrid, Spain

2nd Meeting of the Special focal points for Illegal Killing, Trapping and Trade of Wild Birds

Illegal killing of birds

Introduction

The issue of illegal killing, trapping and trading of birds, particularly in Mediterranean Parties has been regularly on the Agenda of the meetings of the Standing Committee to the Bern convention in the past twenty years. (photo © VVS-archives)

At its 30th meeting, in December 2010, the Standing Committee concluded that illegal killing of birds was still carried out, and in some Contracting Parties it was a growing phenomenon; it realised that the implementation of national legislation was often weak; that the issue also involved other transversal aspects like the transit of the killed and captured birds through third countries, the difficulty to identify the illegally killed species; the capture of endangered species; the need for countries to co-operate and to work with nature conservation NGOs; the need for proper enforcement with appropriate penalties at all levels.

Expressing its deep concern on the extent and negative trends of illegal killing, trapping and trading of birds in the European continent, the Bern convention promoted the organisation of the first "European Conference on illegal killing of birds", held in Larnaca, Cyprus, on 6-8 July 2011.

The Conference delivered the “Larnaca Declaration”, and a draft Recommendation which the Standing Committee adopted at its 31st meeting in 2011 under the reference: Recommendation No. 155 (2011) on the illegal killing, trapping and trade of wild birds.

The key message of the Larnaca conference was “Zero tolerance toward illegal killing of birds”, and the event had the merit to set a pan-European vision to tackle the issue at stake.

The Standing Committee decided to organise a Second Conference, in two years’ time, to monitor progress of Parties towards the eradication of illegal killing, trapping and trade of birds.

The 2nd Conference on Illegal killing, trapping and trade of birds took place in Tunis on 29-30 May 2013 and was foreseen in the framework of the Bern convention/CMS Week on the Conservation of Birds.

The Conference achieved to make a step forward in addressing these matters, moving from the vision set in Larnaca to the concrete implementation until 2020. In fact, after examining a detailed assessment report produced by BirdLife International on behalf of the convention, participants identified both areas where progress was clear and evident, as well as issues where the progress is still low. This is particularly the case for instance for enforcement of legislation, and the awareness and education aspects, both dealing with prevention and which should therefore be seen as key elements of the eradication process.

Three working groups met during the Conference for building on these conclusions and preparing the so-called “Tunis Action Plan for the eradication of illegal killing, trapping and trade of wild birds, 2013-2020”, finally adopted by the Standing Committee at its 33rd session.

The concrete implementation of the Tunis Action Plan is now the responsibility of the Parties, but receives the support and contribution of other Multilateral Environmental Agreements, the European Union, INTERPOL, BirdLife International and the FACE. The progress in the eradication progress is monitored by the Bern convention’s Group of experts on the Conservation of birds, as well as by the restricted Select Group of experts, made up of Special National Focal Point for illegal killing of birds.

Reports of past meetings

Scoreboard to assess national progress in combating IKB

Legal Aspects

Recommendations

Social, Educational and Cultural aspects

  • Suggested methodology and guidance for conducting socio-economic research into IKB - T-PVS/Inf(2023)09
  • Human dimensions as a tool for bird conservation. Report 2011 -  T-PVS/Inf(2011)12E 

Other Related Publications

Shaping up the post-2020 IKB Strategy - replies to the questionnaire

Conservation of birds

Reports of previous meetings

  • Report of the 4th meeting of the Group of Experts on Conservation of Birds - T-PVS(2013)06E
  • Report of the 3rd meeting of the Group of Experts on Conservation of Birds - T-PVS(2002)05E
  • Report of the 2nd meeting of the Group of Experts on Conservation of Birds - T-PVS(99)23E
  • Report of the 1st meeting of the Group of Experts on Conservation of Birds - T-PVS(97)15E

Recommendations

Action plans

Reports and publications

  • Report on the implementation of the action points of Recommendation No. 155 (2011) of the Standing Committee on the illegal killing, trapping and trade of wild birds - T-PVS/Inf(2013)13E
  • Assessment of the compliance by Parties with the Budapest Declaration on Bird Protection and Power Lines - T-PVS/Inf(2013)12E
  • Wind farms and birds: an updated analysis of the effects of wind farms on birds, and best practice guidance on integrated planning and impact assessment - T-PVS/Inf(2013)15E
  • Review of the illegal killing and trapping of birds in Europe - Report by the BirdLife Partnership - T-PVS/Inf(2011)13E / 25 October 2011
  • European Conference on Illegal Killing of Birds - Larnaca, Cyprus, 6-8 July 2011 - National reports - T-PVS/Inf(2011)11E / 25 October 2011
  • Human dimensions as a tool for bird conservation - Report 2011 - T-PVS/Inf(2011)12E / 17 June 2011
  • Implementation of Recommendation No. 110/2004 on minimising adverse effects of above-ground electricity transmission facilities (power lines) on birds - Report by the Governments - T-PVS/Files(2011)13E
  • Follow-up of the implementation of Recommendation No. 110/2004 on minimising adverse effects of above-ground electricity transmission facilities (power lines) on birds - Report by the NGOs - T-PVS/Files(2010)21
  • Climatic change and the conservation of migratory birds in Europe: identifying effects and conservation priorities - T/PVS/Inf(2008)01rev
  • Protecting birds from power lines (Nature and environment series No. 140, 2005)
  • Effects of wind farms on birds (Nature and environment, No. 139, 2004)
  • Windfarms and Birds: an analysis of the effects of windfarms on birds, and guidance on environmental assessment criteria and site selection issues - T-PVS/Inf(2003)12E / 11 September 2003

Useful links