P-05-813 Ban the USE of LARSEN TRAPS (Multi Corvid Traps)
P-05-813 Ban the USE of LARSEN TRAPS (Multi Corvid Traps)
P-05-813
Ban the USE of LARSEN TRAPS (Multi Corvid Traps)
This
petition was submitted by Victoria Kragiel having collected 1,943 signatures.
Text of Petition
We
call on the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to BAN the
USE, Sale & Manufacture of LARSEN TRAPS (Multi Corvid Traps).
The Larsen trap is a cage bird trap where a live wild decoy bird, (call-bird),
is kept trapped inside one compartment to encourage another bird to come down
to it. When another visiting bird lands on top s/he falls through a one way
gate or false floor into a compartment, where s/he awaits their fate.
Larsen traps were invented in Denmark but are now BANNED in that country, as
they are now considered inhumane and extremely cruel.
Larsen traps are mostly used by gamekeepers & smallholders to trap magpies,
crows & other corvids. The bird suffers a terrifying ordeal by being
trapped day and night without food, water or any shelter from the elements,
which causes extreme distress.
Because they use a captive wild bird (technically contrary to the 1981 Wildlife
and Countryside Act) these traps have to be used under the terms of a “General Licence”
issued by Natural Resources Wales, where magpies, crows, jays, jackdaws and
rooks can be trapped.
The wild “decoy call-birds,” with their most vital instincts frustrated &
abused by confinement, suffers a most terrible fate. Close to the ground they
are terrorised by predators and watch as fellow birds are brutally killed in
front of them. A number end up being found dead through neglect.
Legally, the trapped decoy call-bird should have food, water, shelter & a
perch & the 'trap' inspected at least every 24hrs, but, this is not the
case. We have witnessed crows left to die without food & water and found
dead rotting corpses of the previous decoy call-birds, who are permanently
wired inside until they die of starvation or stress.
We have witnessed birds with broken beaks and cut heads where they have tried
to escape. We have witnessed brutality, mutilation & maiming where the
gamekeeper has cut wing flight feathers to stop the decoy bird from escaping.
Additional
information
The
trapping continues throughout the summer months, consequently thousands of
chicks starve to death in their nests due to their parent birds being trapped.
Larsen traps are indiscriminate and can trap non target birds or mammals.
Although illegal, Pigeons are sometimes used to attract birds of prey who are
also then killed.
Trapping wild birds in live bird traps & the use of live decoy call-birds
causes untold stress to the unfortunate birds.
We urge that this persecution of wildlife be stopped.
Status
This petition was
considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on
05/11/19.
The Committee considered
further correspondence and agreed to note NRW’s intention to consider the use
of Larsen traps as part of a wider review of all wild bird licensing in 2020,
and to close the petition in light of the scrutiny which will be applied to
this practice through that process.
Full details of the
consideration of this petitions by the committee and related documents can be
seen on the Meetings tab above.
It was first considered by
the Petitions Committee on 15/05/2018.
Assembly
Constituency and Region
- Cardiff
West
·
South
Wales Central
Further information
Business type: Petition
Reason considered: Senedd Business;
First published: 02/05/2018