The Royal Belgian League for the Protection of Birds (LRBPO) had to deactivate multiple bird traps along Brussels' canal last week.
The traps were found by a birdwatcher as they were attached to multiple nesting sites. The birdwatcher subsequently alerted the LRBPO who dismantled the devices.
The LRBPO alleges that the bird traps constituted a form of tendering – a hunting technique which was outlawed in 1995 consisting of setting up leafless branches coated in glue.
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The bird protection organisation claims that hunters wanted to use the traps to catch the European Goldfinch species, which is "appreciated as a 'cage' bird because of its melodious sounds and its shimmering colours."
The LRBPO denounces the practice "from another age" and promises to "remain vigilant" in the event that similar traps are found in the Belgian capital.
