Tens of thousands of wild geese escaped the cold in Central Europe in the beginning of February. On their way towards the eastern Adriatic Coast, most of them fell victim to bird hunters. But 1,200 greater white-fronted geese and five red-breasted geese were lucky. They landed in the Neretva Delta in Croatia, where local conservationists protect them from poachers.
Save for the moment: Greater white-fronted geese in the Neretva Delta
© Martin Schneider-JacobyWith its mosaic of delta lakes, narrow river valleys, wide reed forests, lagoons, and nutrient common pastures, the Neretva River Delta is a real paradise for birds. Nevertheless, in the past years monitoring counted only a few hundred birds per year. The reason for these low numbers is bird hunting. The reed beds are full of hunting stands and hunters shoot on every bird they can. EuroNatur has been supporting the building of an ornithologist network with local bird watchers for several years, and this constant work now showed success. Thanks to local conservationists in the Neretva Delta, hunters finally obeyed to the official end of the hunting season.
Another 300 birds found refuge in the Salina Ulcinj in Montenegro. EuroNatur partner organization CZIP monitors the internationally important wetland and controls the compliance of the hunting laws.
More about EuroNatur campaigns and actions against bird hunting in the Balkans