France bans glue traps for bird hunting

France top administrative court, the State Council, on Monday formally banned the use of glue traps to hunt birds, revoking exceptions that were granted for what was considered a "traditional” practice.

In a statement, the French court said the practice "cannot be authorized" as it violates following a March decision from the Court of Justice of the European Union that banned it.

What did the court say?

The French court explained "the sole objective of preserving these traditions is not sufficient to justify a derogation from the prohibitions in principle laid down in the European directive."

The State Council added, "neither the government nor the hunters' federation has provided sufficient evidence" that other species were not trapped, nor "the birds that were accidentally captured would suffer only negligible damage once they are released and cleaned."

In its decision, the Court of Justice of the European Union said that traps caused "irreparable harm" to thrushes and blackbirds that are caught.

What is 'glue trapping'?

Using glue traps was practiced in five regions in southeastern France. Hunters would coat tree branches with glue, often using other caged birds' songs to lure birds.

Supporters of the technique say it's not intended to kill the birds, but rather enable hunters to collect, clean and sell them to other hunters to to be kept as pets. Sometimes the birds are captured for sport or for food.

Environmental and animal rights activist groups have long criticized the use of the traps.

Two campaign groups had brought a case against  to the French environmental ministry that said the traps were examples of animal cruelty. The League for the Protection of Birds (LPO) welcomed Monday's ruling, saying on Twitter, "this is the end of glue hunting in France."

European courts banned using glue traps since 1979, but France developed an exemption in 1989 as long as it was "selective, controlled and in limited quantity."

France set an annual quota of 42,000 birds, but activists say that 150,000 birds die every year in France from non-selective hunting techniques including glue traps and nets.

kbd/rs (AFP, Reuters)