Falcon poisoning in Crete put in public spotlight

29-07-2003

There has been growing concern over the reported decline in the population of Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae in Crete, following repeated cases of poisoning during the past few years. The most likely explanation up to now has been the illegal use of agrochemicals in water, targeted for small passerines, which cause substantial damage to table grape crops.

In an attempt to investigate the extent of illegal use of poisoned baits in Eastern and Central Crete and to address their potential effect on the Eleonora’s Falcon, the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS, BirdLife in Greece) carried out a project in collaboration with BirdLife International. This was funded by DuPont Agro Hellas, one of the largest companies manufacturing crop-protection products in Greece.

The project extended from July till December 2002 and included various actions. An important step in improving our knowledge on the poisoning issue was the production of a technical report on Eleonora’s Falcons and poison bait use. The report proposes a number of alternative methods of crop protection as opposed to poisoned baits and will be distributed to relevant authorities and companies for their information.

Public awareness on the issue of poisoned baits and the importance of the falcons was achieved through a campaign which included the production of a leaflet targeting the general public, explaining the dangerous effects of illegal poison use for wildlife and asking for their collaboration in collecting the birds. Leaflets were distributed through local post-offices and also sent to all environmental, mountaineering and hunting societies in Crete. At the end of July, a press conference was held launching a Public Appeal to report on poison cases and deliver dead samples. The message was delivered through local TV channels, radio stations and local newspapers. Press releases were sent to all press in Crete urging them to reprint the news on a regular basis.

For the co-ordination of the collection process, a ‘falcon’ phone-line was made available. Through direct mailing to all HOS members in Crete, a network of volunteers was created, willing to help with the collection of birds. The possibility to participate in the volunteer network was also advertised on the HOS website and through press releases.

Dietrich Ristow

A young Eleonora's Falcon at its nest.
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Overall, 10 falcons were collected through public involvement, 6 of which were released following rehabilitation, while unfortunately the remaining 4 died. Samples have been taken from all the above birds, in order to perform laboratory analyses.

The low number of collected falcons indicates that the use of poison baits was probably a localised issue, concentrated in a specific area of Crete and only during a short period (1997-2001). It is likely that after a few years of using these chemicals, farmers realised that this method did not bring about the desired effect. Scientific evidence on what exactly is the cause of the decline will become available through future research and monitoring of the species.

Overall, the most important outcome of the project was the development of an initial contact and collaboration with the Plant Protection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Regional Agricultural Offices in Crete, but also with companies manufacturing crop protection products and farming associations. In addition, HOS gained valuable experience in planning and implementing a successful Public Appeal, which brought an important issue to the attention of the Cretan public.