Community choices
As part of the EU's work on sustainable bird hunting, three species have been selected for the development of European-level Adaptive Harvest Management (AHM) plans: the common quail (Coturnix coturnix), the common pochard (Aythya ferina), and the European wigeon (Mareca penelope). These plans are currently under development, with FACE actively participating in the dialogue. In this context, FACE produced briefing notes outlining key parameters to consider during the AHMS development phase for each species.
Quail
The quail has a very large population (5 to 9 million individuals in Europe). However, its enigmatic nature and the difficulty of monitoring result in relatively unreliable estimates of its population size. It is therefore essential to generate population monitoring data based on specifically designed methodologies. Although the trend in the EU is unknown, it is not considered to justify listing and is assessed as a species of least concern. Given the poor quality of quail population size estimates, the most appropriate approach would be to develop a series of management measures in the form of regulatory measures. These regulatory measures could include changes to the length of the hunting season and/or daily catch limits.
Pochard
The sustainability of hunting for the common pochard in the EU should be assessed at the migratory population level. The common pochard has two migratory populations spanning the EU, which have increased and remained stable over the last decade, as have the trends of the wintering population in the EU. These trends are key parameters to consider when discussing hunting sustainability. The conservation priority appears to be increasing reproductive success in the EU breeding areas (e.g., nesting success and survival of breeding females).
Wigeon
The sustainability of wigeon hunting in the EU should be assessed at the migratory population level. The wigeon has two migratory populations spanning the EU, which have increased and remained stable over the last decade. Furthermore, the wintering population in the EU has increased significantly over the last 40 years. Given population trends, there is no urgent need to adjust catch levels in the EU for the conservation of the species. The conservation priority appears to be increasing reproductive success in the EU breeding areas (e.g., nesting success and survival of breeding females).
You May Also Like ..
