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REINTRODUCTION OF CHAFFINCH TRAPPING IN FLANDERS
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CAMPAIGN AGAINST REINTRODUCTION OF CHAFFINCH TRAPPING IN FLANDERS 

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Plans to reintroduce bird trapping in the Flanders region of Belgium

A group of Belgian politicians are planning to reintroduce bird trapping in the Belgian region of Flanders. Last Tuesday, the 30 June 2006, a so-called "finch decree"was presented in the Flemish parliament by MPs of the Liberal and Christian Democrat parties. This would once again legalise the trapping of finches for singing competitions until 2013. The initiative is the result of complaints by "bird lovers" who have complained to their local MPs about the alleged poor quality of the song of captive bred Chaffinches.

As evidence of this the would-be trappers refer to a current study in England, where a difference in singing intensity between captive-bred and wild finches has been recorded. Alex Hirschfeld from the German Committee against Bird Slaughter (CABS) states: "The study in fact proves that the song of Chaffinches in the wild is based on strong sexual selection stress". The volume and intensity of the calls help the females in the wild to estimate the quality and health of potential partners. In captivity, where pairing as a result of random natural selection does not occur, the musical quality is at best of average quality. Hirschfeld goes on: "To use this rather banal biological fact as a reason for the reintroduction of bird trapping is outrageous and completely frivolous"

Protest Action

CABS, together with the Royal Belgian Society for the Protection of Birds (RBSPB), has begun a protest action. You can either sign the RBSPB online petition (drafted in Flemish) or, which may have additional impact, send an email yourself to the political parties involved in English and Flemish (email link and text below):

MAIL TO FLEMISH POLITICAL PARTIES

THE REINTRODUCTION OF CHAFFINCH TRAPPING WOULD BE AN OUTRAGEOUS CONTRADICTION OF THE EU BIRD PROTECTION GUIDELINES

To: The Christian Democrat and Liberal parliamentary parties of the Flemish Parliament

Dear Members of the Flemish Parliament,

On the initiative of the Flemish Bird Protection Society I/we, the undersigned, protest against the reintroduction of finch trapping for so-called "Finch Sport". The draft of a special authorisation presented by several Liberal and Christian Democrat MPs in the Flemish Parliament is inconsistent with the EU bird protection guidelines. The trapping of wild Chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs) is reprehensible on ethical, ecological and scientific grounds. Captive breeding of finches is a clear alternative to the once popular sport of bird trapping and there are sufficient opportunities to exchange captive bred birds to avoid inbreeding. In addition, the proposed authorisation of trapping opens the door to abuse, with other songbirds ending up as victims as a result.

Ondergetekende protesteert, op initiatief van Vogelbescherming Vlaanderen, tegen de herinvoering van de vinkenvangst ten behoeve van de "vinkensport&". Het decreetvoorstel, dat door een aantal volksvertegenwoordigers van VLD en CD&V in het Vlaamse Parlement wordt ingediend, is in strijd met de Europese regelgeving inzake vogelbescherming. Het vangen van wilde vinken (Fringilla coelebs) in de natuur is ethisch, ecologisch en wetenschappelijk verwerpelijk. De kweek van vinken in gevangenschap is een deugdelijk alternatief om deze zgn. "volkssport" in stand te houden. Om inteelt bij die kweek te vermijden zijn er genoeg mogelijkheden voorhanden zoals ruil van en handel in gekweekte vinken. Bovendien zal het decreet de deur wagenwijd openzetten voor talrijke misbruiken waarvan ook andere zangvogels het slachtoffer worden ...



Yours faithfully,



(Name and address)

Full contact details:


CD&V-fractie (Christian Democrats)

Vlaams Parlement
1011 Brussel
fractie.cdenv@vlaamsparlement.be

Party leader:
Ludwig Caluwe
ludwig@caluwe.be



VLD-fractie (Liberals)
Vlaams Parlement
1011 Brussel
fractie.vld@vlaamsparlement.be

Party leader:
Patricia Ceysens
patricia.ceysens@vlaamsparlement.be
 
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