| 10. March 1998
IAF on the internet CYBERSPACE - The internationally acknowledged association of falconryclub's and -associations, The International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF), has lauched it's official homepage. The page presents the association's purposes and and fields of work. View the page here. IAF
1. March 1998 The Countryside March LONDON - On 1. March "The Countryside March", arranged by The British Field Sports Society and The Countryside Alliance took place. The march went from Westminster Embankment to Hyde Park in support of countrylife and fieldsports. The march was attended by 284.000 people, which made it the biggest event of it's kind in England - ever. London has never experienced a gathering as this. In 1997 a similar event took place - The Fieldsports Rally - in support of fieldsports, which is under pressure by the Labour government. This event was attended by 110.000, which at that time made it the biggest demonstration ever in England. TV2/BFSS
Jan. 1998 Deliberate killing of birds of prey in Denmark DENMARK - According to article 9.2 of the Bern Convention, the contracting parties must report every two years to the Standing Committee on the exceptions they have made to the Convention. Under the heading "derogations concerning strictly protected fauna species", Denmark has reported 51 licences given and 42 goshawks deliberately killed, for the protection of fauna and flora and to prevent serious damages to crops, etc.. According the report "impact is monitored by the competent authorities. For sparrowhawk the numbers are: 48 licences given and 3 sparrowhawks shot with no impact on the population. For buzzard: 49 licences, 17 specimens shot with negligible impact. Kestrels: 7 licences given, 8 specimens shot, negligible impact. These derogations are interesting insofar as it is possible to get permission to shoot birds of prey, but not to keep individuals of same species for falconry purposes. With Germany, Denmark is the only country that allows shooting of birds of prey. IAF
Dec. 1997 A new victory for falconry THE EUROPEAN UNION - The Standing Committee of the Bern Convention (of which IAF is a permanent observer since 1986) has been working out since 1993 a "Recommendation on the Introduction of Organisms Belonging to "Non-Native Species into the Environment". It has been claimed that falconry could be a source of such introductions, but since an early stage of the discussions, IAF had been drawing the attention of the Council of Europe to the fact that falconry is not a source of accidental introduction. The Council of Europe have agreed in writing to IAF's arguments. The Committee decided to form a working group. The Delegate of the European Commission asked the president of the IAF to be a member of the said working group, which of course was accepted with gratitude. The Recommendation was at long last adopted. It contains in its pre-amble the following: "Considering that this Recommendation does not apply to:
This sentence is a most welcomed recognition by the Council of Europe of falconry as an accepted fact. (Read more) IAF Circular 6-97
Dec. 1997 Swedish hawking club formed SWEDEN - The popularity of falconry is increasing everywhere in the world, and also in Sweden. Svenska Falkenerarförbundet - "The Swedish Falconer's Association" was formed in Stockholm in December of 1997. Chairman and secretary is Magnus Wildt. (Read more) |
Sept. 1997
Ornitological association recognizes falconry USA - The american Raptor Research Foundaton, recognizes falconry in the September issue of their newsletter "Wingspan". The issues discussed in the international debate on falconry are all dealt with: Capture of wild raptors - which is legal in the US and several european countries, captive propagation, hybridization of different species, identification of individual birds and their parentage and control and surveillance of falconry. The scientific litterature excisting on the issues have been reviewed and the RFF concludes... (Read more) Wingspan 25. Sept. 1997 Birds of prey at work in JFK airport NEW YORK - Federal Air Agency estimate that collisions with birds will cost civilian and military air-traffic more than 400.000.000 dollars in '97. In 1975 a DC-10 crashed in John F. Kennedy because the airplane-engine sucked in a couple of gulls. All passengers survived. The employees of the airport has in the last couple of years shot thousands of seagulls in the JFK airport in New York. Starter pistols, gas-canons, bird-calls and even balloons with owl-faces painted on them have been employed in order to scare the birds away. Now a gentler and more natural means to keep the birds away have been employed. Tom Cullen is a falconer and has been contracted by the airport to use birds of prey to scare the birds away. "The gulls and the other birds recognize the raptors from the distance and will hopefully avoid the area in the future. When they see a hunting falcon they know that it is unhealthy to be around", explains Tom Cullen. "The purpose is not to kill. It is to scare." The falconry unit patrols the airport from dawn to dusk looking for flocks of birds that might disturb air-traffic. Does that happen, the falconer sends off a hawk to do its job. Cullen and his colleagues uses 10 falcons and three Harris' hawks to scare gulls and other birds that has the JFK airport as their favourite hang out away. The falcons can dive at speeds at more than 150 km/h when they attack the lure - a couple of pigeonwings tied together with a piece of meat to the end of a long line. That is enough to let potential prey know that the falcon is hunting something. Falcons have been used in about 20 airports around the world during the last decades - in Canada, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Denmark and latest also in Taiwan. However, the programme in JFK uses more hawks than any other programme before anywhere in the world. That's because collisions happen more frequently here than anywhere else. New York is on two major bird-migration-routes and the JFK is situated by two national bird-reservations where the number of gulls have exploded from 15 breeding couples in 1979 to 9.000 last spring. "We are not trying to harm the birds, but to keep them away from the airport", says the airport operation manager Al Graser. Next spring the falcons will probably be used from may to november. CNN
Summer 1997 Birds and planes at collision-course ILLINOIS - Last autumn United States Air Force started using birds of prey at the Scott Air Force Base in Illinois in the efforts to bring down the number of collisions between planes and birds, which frequently cost a human life. A Bird Aircraft Strike Hazards (BASH) team, flying peregrines and Harris' hawks at the runways at the base have been formed. So far the experience is that blackbirds at the base dissappear when they see a falcon circling overhead. It makes air-traffic safer without having to employ drastic methods as shooting. Living bird
9. April, 1997 Londons air-space patrolled by birds of prey LONDON - In London falconry has been employed in the efforts to fight the "feathered rats", as the city council call the often ill and disease-carrying pigeons. Arnie - a young Harris' hawk and his falconer Don Warren of "Nature's Way Pest Control" patrol the areas they have been contracted to keep pigeon free every day. Among these is Charlton Football Stadium which, before Don and Arnie started their patrols, were occupied by pigeons. Other methods were tried but without success. Now the stadium is litterally pigeon-free with only one hours patrol every second week. A similar result achieved by sanitary workers cleaning the the stadium would cost two mens work two days a week - for three years! The hawk only needs a little chicken. Warren is contend with being able to live of his hobby, but of course - when the pigeons leave one place, they move to another. CNN
Spring 1997 Case on poisoned birds of prey HAMMEL - The case of the poisoned common buzzards which were found dead at Frijsenborg Estate near Hammel in January is being closed due to lack of evidence. Politiken. |
 3. March 1997 Status for the administration of the rules regarding the possession of birds of prey and owls in captivity DENMARK - The National Forest- and Nature Agency has made a report for the minister of environment on the status of the possession of birds of prey and owls in Denmark since the introduction of stricter rules by the Hunting and Game Administration Act of 1994. The total number of birds in captivity in the period 1. April 1994 - 1. Feb. 1997 has risen from 178 to 215. The number of individuals of indigenous species, which it was the aim of the act to decrease, has remained largely unchanged with 164 birds kept by 44 keepsers on 1. February 1997 whereas the number was 159 birds kept by 48 keepers. The number of individuals of non-indigenous species has risen considerably. 51 birds possessed by 17 keepers in February 1997 while the number in April 1994 was 19 birds and 9 keepers. In the mentioned period 138 birds of prey and owls were bred by danish raptorkeepers. It is noted that "so far no "illegal" birds of prey or owls have been found, and the Agency do not find it necessary to increase control procedures." (Read more) The National Forest- and Nature Agency
28. Feb. 1997 Protected birds of prey decapitated COPENHAGEN - Several birds of prey have been found killed at several places in the Copenhagen area in the last couple of days. Among them several protected species. Politiken
25. Feb. 1997 Protected birds of prey poisened at chamberlain Wedell HAMMEL - The two protected common buzzards that were found dead at Frijsenborg Estate near Hammel last month, next to a pheasant-cadaver tied to a string, were definitely poisoned. The police is investigating the case. E.B., Politiken + Aktuelt
Summer 1996 IAF admitted in the IUCN "The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (The World Conservation Union), IUCN has just officially admitted The International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF). The IUCN brings together States, government agencies and a diverse range of non-governmental organizations in a unique world partnership: over 800 members in all, spread across some 125 countries. IUCN seeks to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural ressources is equitalbe and ecologically sustainable. The IAF represents falconry associations from 20 countries, it is the representative of falconry for international organisations, whether governmental or not, political, scientific or sporting. The Danish Hawking Club is a member of the IAF. The admission of the IAF ot the IUCN is a recognition of the part played by its members in the conservation and study of raptors. The fact that the world's highest authority in nature conservation has admitted the IAF as a member may be considered as an acknowledgement of the fact that falconry is not incompatible with its World Conservation Strategy and it's World Charter for Nature.". The Danish Hawking Club |
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