Brochure: The Scoreboard: Assessing progress in combating the Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean

The illegal killing, taking and trade of migratory birds (IKB) is a serious conservation issue in the Mediterranean region. Birds are targeted (especially during migration periods) and killed or trapped for food, as pets, or for trading. The methods for trapping or killing vary across the Mediterranean and include traps, lime sticks, nets, snares, shotguns, and poison. Estimating the scale of IKB is extremely difficult, but a coordinated study by the NGO BirdLife International in 2016 estimated that as many as 25 million birds could be getting killed annually across the Mediterranean, affecting 375 of the 561 species (ca. 65%) recorded in this region.

To address this issue, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) adopted Resolution 11.16 (Rev. COP14) in 2014. This resolution promotes international cooperation to reduce the illegal killing, taking, and trade of migratory birds, bringing together many stakeholders to develop a shared approach to tackle this complex challenge. The adoption of Resolution 11.16 (Rev. COP14) led to the creation of the Intergovernmental Task Force on Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean (MIKT).

The work of MIKT for the period 2020-2030 is guided by the Rome Strategic Plan 2020-2030: Eradicating Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade in Wild Birds in Europe and the Mediterranean region (RSP), the common strategic framework of the MIKT and the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention). The RSP sets the overarching goal of eradicating IKB within the geographic extent of the Bern Convention and the CMS MIKT. Additionally, it sets the goal of reducing the scale and scope of IKB by 50% by 2030 compared to a 2020 baseline.