BirdLife Europe and Central Asia

🔴 Lead is poison. Ban it NOW! Sign our petition 👉 https://lnkd.in/drGXkqY6   Despite being banned in petrol, paint, and pipes, over 44,000 tonnes of lead are still released into the EU environment each year from hunting, shooting, and fishing. This must stop!   Lead exposure harms human health, especially children, poisons animals, and contaminates our ecosystems.   Every year: - 1 million kids in Europe are at risk from lead in game meat. - 1 million #birds die from lead poisoning. - 38,000 tonnes of lead shot pellets poison nature: ingesting just one can kill a bird. - Lead fragments in bullets and lost fishing tackle poisons soil and water, impacting ecosystems. - Pets and livestock risk lead exposure too.   Support is growing for non-toxic ammunition and fishing weights, and the EU has a unique opportunity to drive this change. Safe alternatives exist for people, wildlife, and the environment.   📢 Sign the petition to #BanLeadNow and protect our communities and nature!

At the recent annual meeting of the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention, criticisms were directed at the Albanian government regarding the ongoing construction of Vlora Airport. The construction, located within the Emerald Network site in the Narta Lagoon, has raised alarm among international environmental experts. Situated just 50 meters from the Narta salina and 800 meters from the Vjosa River National Park, the construction blatantly contravenes the principles of the Bern Convention. Despite the European Parliament resolution and repeated warnings from scientists and environmentalists demanding the immediate suspension of the construction of Vlora International Airport and a thorough reassessment of its environmental impact, heavy machinery continues to wreak destruction. Critics have called the construction "one of Albania’s gravest missteps" and a harbinger of broader threats looming over the country’s protected areas. The ecological implications are dire. The airport's construction disrupts the Adriatic Flyway, a critical migration corridor for birds, raising concerns about biodiversity loss and increased risk of bird-aircraft collisions. These risks not only threaten wildlife but also pose a significant safety threat to humans. The Bern Convention has issued an additional call for action, urging the Albanian government to revise its legislation on protected areas. Current laws, according to the convention, violate international principles for nature conservation. Albania’s annual progress reports on EU integration have repeatedly flagged the Vlora Airport in Chapter 27, highlighting that environmental protections do not meet European standards. Watch the full interview of Dr. Aleksandër Trajçe, Director of PPNEA, on the program ADN with journalist Ilir Yzeiri. LINK: https://lnkd.in/d-76zT2z

🌱 It’s been an intense year in the fight for nature, but together with our 46 national Partners from 44 countries, we have stayed strong. Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do, and we are grateful for the incredible work we have achieved together. Here are some of our favourite snapshots from our meetings this year: 1.       EU elections comms and advocacy meeting 2.       Nature and Climate Task Force 3.       BirdLife and Central Asia Partnership Meeting 4.       Marine Task Force 5.       Fundraising Working Group 6.       Agriculture Task Force This decade is critical—it’s time to set nature on the path to recovery and create a future where people and nature thrive together. Here’s to an impactful 2025! Thank you to all our Partners for their dedication and collaboration. 🥂 #restorenature 

✨Which holiday bird are you this year?✨ Anyone not gluttonous Bittern? Wishing you a happy holiday season from the entire BirdLife Europe & Central Asia team!🎄 📷1/3/5/6/8/9 by Yves Adams, 2 by Lars Soerink, 4 by Ervín Hrtan, 7 by Ian Hosker #birdmemes #birds #ornithology

🚨 Hello future Senior Finance and Administration Manager! Numbers, nature, and feathers make your heart beat faster? You have been looking for this new-year resolution, and here it is! Join BirdLife Europe and Central Asia and help lead the financial and administrative operations of our Brussels office! We are looking for an experienced individual to oversee the Europe and Central Asia Division's finances, accounting, statutory obligations, and office operations in Brussels, in collaboration with the Global Operations Team. 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘰𝘣 𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘣𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: https://lnkd.in/dFJU3qm3 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁: Permanent, Full-time 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆: EUR 5,245 gross/month 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: Sunday, 05 January 2025 - 23:45 (interviews scheduled for the week of 13 January 2025) 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Brussels (Hybrid working) #jobsinbrussels #NGOjobs #financejobs

Historic win for EU’s nature!🙌 Day 10 of our 12 Days of BirdLife celebrates the success of the #RestoreNature coalition in advocating for an EU Nature Restoration Law. After years of intense campaigning, over a million signatures and messages from citizens, repeated calls from 6000+ scientists, 100+ businesses, youth organisations, and civil society from across numerous sectors had been made to defend the law and the integrity of the EU Green Deal. 📜 This outcome is a huge win for Europe’s nature, climate action, citizens and the future. 🎉 The #RestoreNature coalition consists of BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, ClientEarth, EEB and WWF EU.🌍 Find out more here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e7ddb-TM Stay tuned for our 12 Days of BirdLife! 📆 #BirdLifeInternational #12DaysofBirdLife #NatureRestoration #ClimateChange

‼️The EU #deforestationlaw has been officially delayed. This postponement adopted by the European Parliament will severely affect forests ecosystems worldwide, exacerbating the climate and biodiversity crises. Yet, the outcome could have been far worse. Member states rejected further attempts from the EPP to water down the law and stood firm on their commitments. Now it is the time to take action, and ensure a smooth impelentantion of this landmark regulation. #eudr #restorenature #together4forests

Yesterday we had a chance to personally thank Leonore Gewessler for the crucial role she played in in passing the EU #RestoreNature law over the line. Politicians get bad press for lack of courage, short termism, and caring about their career more than about the public good. All too often they do live up to the prejudice. But politics really should be about working to improve society, standing for what's right, and showing leadership. I have immense respect for those who put themselves on the line. BirdLife Europe and Central AsiaWWF European Policy Office Faustine Bas-Defossez Andreas Baumüller Ester Asin Martinez

🚨 160,000 quails are illegally killed every year in the Western Balkans, with Serbia at the centre of the issue. 🚨 The illegal hunting of Common Quails (Coturnix coturnix) poses a significant threat to this migratory species along the Adriatic Flyway, a critical route from Europe to Africa. Of the 160,000 quails illegally killed annually in the region, up to 60,000 are lost in Serbia’s Vojvodina region alone. Despite international commitments, Serbia has yet to adopt a National Action Plan to stop the illegal killing of birds. Enforcement efforts remain weak. Poaching hotspots are well-known but frequently revisited by offenders due to low penalties and a lack of resources. Allegations of personal ties between poachers, local officials, and hunting organizations undermine trust in conservation efforts. Banned electronic sound lures, which attract birds in large numbers, are still openly sold online, exposing major regulatory loopholes. The consequences of this weak enforcement extend beyond bird populations. The disruption of ecological processes and degradation of habitats critical for migratory birds have ripple effects on biodiversity and local economies that are dependent on these ecosystems. The illegal killing of birds not only diminishes the ecological integrity of the region but also contradicts Serbia's efforts to align its environmental policies with the European Union’s Birds Directive and Environmental Crime Directive, crucial steps for its EU accession.  These findings are part of a case study featured in EuroNatur Foundation’s new Biodiversity Report. It highlights the urgent need for Serbia to adopt stronger laws, increase penalties, and crack down on illegal hunting devices. Without immediate action, migratory bird populations along the Adriatic Flyway could face irreversible declines. BirdLife Serbia (BPSSS) has been at the forefront of efforts to combat these illegal practices, reporting poaching hotspots and working on the ground to protect migratory birds. #flightforsurvival

🐝 𝗔 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗽 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗴𝗶𝘂𝗺! 🐝 Sand quarries, with their sunlit slopes and bare soils, have emerged as unlikely sanctuaries for rare pollinators. These habitats are vital for ground-nesting bees, which constitute 70% of all wild bee species, offering the nesting grounds they struggle to find in our manicured landscapes. This spring, a collaborative study led by BirdLife Partner Natuurpunt and the the Sibelco Group explored four Belgian quarries to inventory wild bees. Amid the anticipated findings, researchers uncovered a thrilling surprise: 𝘕𝘺𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴, a kleptoparasitic digger wasp, marking its first recorded presence in Belgium! This tiny, half-centimetre insect dazzles with a striking black abdomen adorned with white dots and red markings. A fascinating parasitic species, it lays its eggs in the nests of other digger wasps, echoing the strategy of the cuckoo bird. Its larvae consume provisions originally intended for the host’s offspring. “Finding this new parasitic digger wasp species was a pleasant surprise,” says bee-expert Win Vertommen. “There’s another species that looks very similar, and at first I thought it was that one. But after further research, it turned out to be a new species that has never been spotted in our country before, which is always exciting to discover.” Digger wasps, including 𝘕𝘺𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴, contribute significantly to maintaining ecological balance. By preying on insects like aphids, flies, and beetles, they act as natural pest controllers. This discovery showcases the intricate relationships within ecosystems and emphasises the importance of preserving unique habitats like open sand, arising from quarrying activities to foster biodiversity.