IAF eBulletin for March 2021

Thanks to volunteer translators, this eBulletin is available in other languages. If you would like to take part, email muehle@iaf.org . If your language does not appear, we upload  late translations onto the Facebook page

Important note to delegates, to club representatives and to translators: please don't forget to forward this eBulletin to your club members and all the falconer you know, especially the many language versions, even if it is by a "share" on social media - you will magnify the falconer's voice!

200 Case-Files: a milestone within the monitoring of the Bern Convention

This February, the Bern Convention registered its 200th case-file. This pioneering system has since 1984 given organizations and private citizens the opportunity to highlight presumed breaches of the Bern Convention, potentially bringing the case to the Standing Committee- a pan-European forum.

The system was and still is considered a valuable tool to enable a constructive discussion between local, national and international stakeholders. Stakeholders can make the case for a file to be opened against governments, who are then required to defend it and, if proven, to put things right.

The Standing Committee provides a platform for these stakeholders (NGOs like the IAF) to exchange views and find common solutions, while encouraging holistic and collective recommendations instead of rigid and inflexible sanctions. Furthermore, keeping in mind that natural habitats and species do not tend to respect human-made frontiers, the system is also important as it provides for complex cross-border issues to be addressed and resolved.

To read the full communication from the Chair of the Standing Committee, Jana Durkošová, click here.

If you would like more information on IAF's involvement in the BernConvention, or you would like to attend a Bern Convention Meeting, contact the IAF Secretariat at info@iaf.org

Significant Improvement in legislative framework for falconry in Ontario, Canada

I am extremely pleased to forward news of a significant step forward in Ontario falconry. Today the Honourable John Yakabuski, Minster of Natural Resources and Forestry for the Province of Ontario approved new regulations that:

1. Eliminates the quota and special permit requirement, and allows all licensed falconers to take 1 bird per year from 4 common species, and 
2. Adds a limited take of Northern Goshawk for the first time.

These developments are very significant for several reasons, including:

• This makes Ontario only the second province in Canada (behind Saskatchewan) to allow the capture of birds of prey by licensed falconers without a permit. 
• It enshrines the practise of wild take in regulation, rather than policy, which is a much more secure and stable legal framework.
• It substantially enhances the actual practice of falconry in Ontario by making passage red-tailed hawks universally available to falconers.
• It stands by science and the conviction that falconry, and the regulated use of wildlife enhance conservation.

Wild take was first authorized  in Ontario on 2012 under special permits which allowed up to 25 birds to be taken from 4 common species. This changed falconry in the province but only about half of the people who applied were able to get a permit in any year. This was particularly difficult for apprentices looking to get their first bird. Today’s decision removes those restrictions and by adding and entrenching the use of wild raptors in regulation really secures the future of falconry traditions in Canada’s most populous province.

This is a great day for all of us, and I want to recognize the important support of the IAF, as well as the great number of comments submitted by NAFA members from across the USA and Canada. The international support did not go unnoticed by the Ministry....and is humbly appreciated by Ontario falconers!

Thank you all,

Martin Geleynse

IAF Delegate, Canada. Past President, Ontario Hawking Club

"Sharing the Knowledge" series of talks

Another successful talk! Thanks to Steve Tait, master hood-maker from the United States for sharing his observations on hood making and showing some of his work. It was a great success, with live attendance of over 70 participants, and many more requested the link to the recording. 

If you would like to participate in these Zoom sessions, held on alternate Sundays, please request the Zoom link from info@iaf.org. If the time zone you are in means that it is not comfortable for you to attend, then please ask for the link to the recording.

Keep an eye on the IAF social media pages for details of upcoming talks, or ask you national delegate.

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