United Nations Radio

The government of Canada and a group enforcing a convention to protect endangered species on Wednesday launched a new guide on falcons and hawks.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora known as CITES, is aimed at ensuring that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

The CITES Guide to Falconry Species is in two editions: the public version identifies and describes of the most commonly traded falcon and hawk species, and the law enforcement edition includes information to help border control, customs and police officers monitor and control the cross-border movements of falcons.

Illegal trade in these species often involves removing eggs from the nest in the wild or birds being trapped. The eggs or live birds are then smuggled to countries where they attract high prices.

According to CITES, illegal trade in birds of prey slumped in the mid-2000s because of fear of bird flu but now it seems to be growing again, with major recent seizures in several countries.

Diane Bailey, United Nations

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