Jess Williams

Conservation Officer for BirdLife International. End the illegal hunting, trapping and trade of wild birds! #FlightforSurvival #EndWildlifeCrime

[Stuart Butchart @stubutchart]

Interested in joining a dynamic team of conservation scientists at the world's largest partnership for nature? We're looking for someone to support the management of extensive datasets on species and important sites for their conservation https://t.co/YvvvlqxO8U @BirdLife_Sci

[Stuart Butchart @stubutchart]

Does conservation work? Our paper by @rewild shows that it does: a global analysis of 665 trials (incl. several by @RSPBScience) found that conservation improved the state of biodiversity or slowed declines in two-thirds of cases @BirdLife_Sci https://t.co/DskyzkYffQ

[Jess Williams @NatureEu]

🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸

[BirdLife International @BirdLife_News]

Today we are proud of the courage and perseverance of our Palestinian Partner, the Palestine Wildlife Society, in these challenging times as we salute their celebration of their 25th anniversary. You can support them here at https://t.co/7Cmve1dBuc

[BirdLife Europe & Central Asia @BirdLifeEurope]

🚨Members of the European Parliament just voted to strip away the already weak environmental measures from the EU’s Common Agriculture Policy (CAP).🚨

With a shocking 425 votes in favour and 130 votes against, the Parliament has agreed to weaken the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAECs). The GAECs are meant to safeguard biodiversity and soil health – both crucial for food production and the livelihoods of farmers.

This outcome follows yesterday’s vote on GAEC 1, where the Parliament voted to allow valuable grasslands, crucial for climate regulation and water retention, to be ploughed up more easily. In addition to negatively affecting farmers, the results of these votes are also a significant setback in the European Union's efforts to promote sustainable agriculture and combat climate change.

Within just one month, the entire process, from the Commission's proposal of the simplification package in March, to the vote in the Parliament today, has been completed. Breaking from the usual process, this emergency voting procedure skipped stakeholders' consultations or impact assessments.

This move, orchestrated by right and far-right parties and supported by the majority of the Renew and Socialist & Democrat groups, exploits ongoing farmer protests to advance narrow political agendas. Most importantly, it fails to address the real issue: the disproportionate distribution of #CAP subsidies, with 80% going to the wealthiest 20% of farmers.

The European Commission's vague insistence on 'political urgency' to justify deviating from democratic rules is extremely concerning. It undermines the integrity of the decision-making process, and disregards over 3.5 years of collaborative stakeholder effort on these legislative files.

By dismantling environmental safeguards and catering to the interests of a select few, today’s decision makes a mockery of the nature and climate crises, undermines democratic processes, and betrays the trust citizens place in them.

The European Council has already expressed support for this legislative proposal and is likely to officially endorse it before the European Elections in June.

#NoNatureNoFood #Farmersprotest2024 #farmers #EUAgriculture

[Jess Williams @NatureEu]

Analysis of tracking data from 4000 large migratory #birds, new study from @BirdLife_Sci identifies mortality patterns across species and continents, guiding global #conservation efforts.
➡ Check the study's findings #ornithology #raptors

[BirdLife Science @BirdLife_Sci]

Tracked migratory birds are documenting their own deaths along the African-Eurasian flyway.

Energy infrastructure, illegal killing & poisoning to blame, outstripping natural mortality causes in tracked raptors, storks & cranes. #Ornithology
https://t.co/bLIegFEhCH

[BirdLife Europe & Central Asia @BirdLifeEurope]

BirdLife Malta is requesting PM Abela to personally intervene and raise the issue with President Ursula von der Leyen and the Belgian Presidency to put the Law to #RestoreNature back on the agenda and see that it is approved.

👉 Read the Open Letter here: https://t.co/nHfQIWx8bR.

[BirdLife Europe & Central Asia @BirdLifeEurope]

🥳 The law to #RestoreNature has always been so much more than a law to bring back nature. It is a symbol that Europe can, and will, commit to fighting for the survival of our planet.

Despite last-minute efforts of far-right and conservative groups, and disinformation from anti-nature lobbies to torpedo the law, the majority of Members of Parliament stayed true to the democratic and legislative process in place, approving the trilogue agreement which they were part of negotiating last year.

Here's our press release ⬇️
https://t.co/Wvg7KK3ITY

#NatureRestorationLaw

[Martin Harper @martinBirdLife]

This 👇 because it matters and because it’s right to celebrate when you win after years of brilliant, creative campaigning.

[BirdLife Policy @BirdLife_Policy]

Want to learn about the scale and impacts of illegal taking of birds around the world? Then our #CMSCOP14 side event with @BonnConvention this evening is for you - including the launch of our new East Asia-Australasia review & action to address it

@BirdLife_News @BirdLife_Asia

[BirdLife Policy @BirdLife_Policy]

Standing room only at #CMSCOP14 side event on the importance of international cooperation & mainstreaming at national level for conservation of threatened migratory birds, highlighted by @BirdLife_News Partners from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan & UK
#NatureKnowsNoBorders #ForNature

[Jess Williams @NatureEu]

The report's overwhelming conclusion is that the decline is driven by human activity - in particular excessive hunting and killing of animals & habitat destruction #CMSCOP14

[BBC Science News @BBCScienceNews]

Migrating species crucial to planet under threat, says UN https://t.co/Iooe6HuhJe

[Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) @BonnConvention]

📢BREAKING:

Landmark UN report reveals shocking state of wildlife: the world’s #migratoryspecies of animals are in decline, and the global extinction risk is increasing.

The CMS report launches now at #CMSCOP14:

➡️ https://t.co/UKlR7C5hD5

[BirdLife Policy @BirdLife_Policy]

And we’re off! Looking forward to strengthening cooperation for the conservation of #migratoryspecies here in Samarkand this week, as host Uzbekistan @ecogovuz & @BonnConvention & @UNEP heads open high level segment of #CMSCOP14

#NatureKnowsNoBorders #ForNature @BirdLife_News

[BirdLife Europe & Central Asia @BirdLifeEurope]

🚨Today at 14:00 CET a debate will take place at the EU Parliament to “review the protection status of wolves and other large carnivores in the EU”. The @EPPgroup has requested for this to take place.

Europe's wolves pose NO danger to humans, with no fatalities in the past century. There are many ways and examples of farmers and wolves coexisting : instead of blame, let's focus on responsible livestock protection.

As a native species, the wolf is a fundamental element of Europe's natural heritage and plays an important role in its ecosystems. The EU must continue its work on restoring, not eliminating this species🐺

We will be watching the debate closely to make sure facts and science are accurately depicted in the discussions, instead of baseless fearmongering.

It will be livestreamed here:
https://t.co/GwzvzM7qXg

@Europarl_EN #RestoreNature

[BirdLife Malta @BirdLife_Malta]

📢𝗠𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝘂𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝗱𝘀

The recent case where a well-known wildlife trade smuggler was caught in Malta trying to smuggle out illegally shot birds is proof of the worrying situation of illegal hunting in Malta and abroad by Maltese hunters.

1⃣ The first is that illegally shot birds by Maltese hunters abroad in countries such as Egypt and other countries ranging from Russia, the Balkans, South America and Africa, are managing to smuggle the carcasses in Malta. Most of the birds found in this case were actually from Africa and South America.

2⃣ The second is that taxidermists in Malta, some of whom organise these hunting trips abroad, are actually illegally mounting these into stuffed birds for collections and illegal trade.

3⃣ The third is the fact that illegal hunting in Malta and abroad is a well organised crime that not only smuggles in and out such birds but does so against large amounts of money transactions. This racket is an illegal revenue stream and hence explains why there has been a massive push in changing laws to soften enforcement of taxidermy in particular. The continued pressure by the hunting lobby to dilute and dismantle legal protection and to institutionalise loopholes in the same laws is evidently motivated by the same interest.

While the apprehension of one culprit is a one-off, the trade of illegally shot protected birds in Malta is a very common activity and is the main reason why hunters are eager at shooting down protected birds all year round.

Kudos to the Environment & Resources Authority (ERA), the @MaltaPolice, @CustomsMalta and @Maltairport Security, for the successful conviction in association with the smuggling of wildlife specimens by this international high profile collector and taxidermist.

Read more: https://t.co/BVHb191Dxi.

📷 ERA

[BirdLife Science @BirdLife_Sci]

Launching the #BirdLifeScience Twitter page! Give us a follow for updates on the science work of our Secretariat and Partners, and how it's used in our conservation programmes, policy and advocacy.

Learn more about our work here: https://t.co/a1jgTna97z

[Wim Van den Bossche @ooitje]

great work on identifying TD hunting characteristics in Spain 👇

[The Urban Birder - OFFICIAL @urbanbirder]

Tackling the spring hunting season on Malta.

Join @BirdLife_Malta on @InConservation1 as they plan for this year's expected slaughter of migrating birds.

Wednesday 22 February 7pm GMT

Book FREE: https://t.co/wZRy23M2o3

Sponsored by: @CJWildlife & @LeicaBirding

[Honey Kohan #RestoreNature @honeykohan]

historic day for people and nature in the EU. can't wait for the day all ammunition and fishing lures with lead are banned. great write up by @phoeb0

https://t.co/ab2f9BV910 #banlead

[BirdLife Malta @BirdLife_Malta]

‼ BREAKING. @EU_Commission takes new action against Malta following @MaltaGov decision last spring to reopen a spring hunting season for #TurtleDove. An additional Letter of Formal Notice sent to Malta calls on the Government to cease spring hunting for this Vulnerable species.