Surfbirds News: BirdLife International Archives
Houbara Bustard
Chlamydotis undulata
which only exists on the Canary Islands in the EU, are under severe threat from human activities and are reliant on protection under European law in order to ensure their survival.
Lesser Kestrel, copyright Nic Hallam
The EU Birds Directive declares that each Member State has to designate the most appropriate areas for the protection of birds based on biological criteria. BirdLife International’s inventory of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) provides a reference list for this, as confirmed once more by the European Court today. In the case of Spain, IBAs cover 31.5% of the country’s territory, while so far only 18% has been designated as SPA under the Birds Directive. Therefore the European Court has ruled today that Spain has to close this gap and designate the remaining sites. |
