A letter published in the Science denounces that authorizations are being used for alleged research projects to capture birds without essential legal, scientific, and ethical standards.
Scientific staff from various research centres, including Joan Carles Senar, Head of the Research Area at the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona, warn in a letter published in the journal Science about the improper use of scientific permits to justify the capture of wild birds, a practice prohibited by the European Union since 2009, except in very specific and strictly regulated cases.
The authors denounce that, following the nationwide suspension in 2018 of hunting permits that had allowed the capture of around 1.7 million birds between 2013 and 2018 -already in contradiction with EU regulations- some regional governments have begun granting capture authorizations under the guise of alleged scientific projects, even in protected areas, while in reality pursuing other aims.
According to the scientific community, these authorizations replicate strategies already sanctioned in other countries, such as Malta, or resemble the use of so-called “scientific hunting” to justify the capture of whales in Japan. In fact, some of these permits even authorize methods explicitly prohibited by European regulations -such as the use of live decoys or mist nets- and lack standardized protocols, independent ethical review, and data transparency, thereby calling their scientific legitimacy into question.
“The study and capture of live animals are essential for understanding and conserving biodiversity, but they can only be considered science when based on methodological rigor, independent oversight, and transparency,” says Senar. “Using scientific language to justify recreational captures is not research; it is a bad practice that harms species and discredits science.”
In this context, the signatories claim that such initiatives violate the ethical standards of ornithological research in Europe and undermine public trust in science. They therefore urge authorities to ensure that any capture carried out for scientific purposes strictly complies with minimum legal requirements and is conducted exclusively by qualified scientific personnel.
In addition to Senar, the letter is signed by experts from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), including researchers from the Doñana Biological Station, the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology, the Institute for Research in Game Resources, the Experimental Station of Arid Zones, and the National Museum of Natural Sciences, as well as from the University of Seville, the University of Huelva, and SEO/BirdLife.
Reference: Juan José Negro, Antoni Margalida, Carlos Camacho, Beatriz Arroyo, François Mougeot, José Luis Tella, David Serrano, Francisco Valera, Juan Arizaga, Jordi Figuerola, Eloy Revilla, Ismael Galván, Irene Mendoza, José Prenda, Airam Rodríguez, Josabel Belliure, Rafael Arenas, Juan Carlos Atienza, Tomás Redondo, Joan Carles Senar. Misusing research to trap songbirds in Spain. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aee3825