Public Input Coordinator…

Public Input Coordinator
MNRF Fish and Wildlife Policy Branch – Wildlife Section
300 Water Street
5th Floor, North Tower
Peterborough, ON
K9J 3C7

ERO # 019-1806: Proposal to expand the live capture of wild raptors (birds of prey) by licensed falconers

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I am writing regarding the proposal to expand and update access to wild raptors by licensed falconers, as Vice President for the Americas for the International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF, www.iaf.org). The IAF is an accredited NGO providing advisory services to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee (NGO-90006) and an accredited member of IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The practice of falconry requires healthy, intact ecosystems comprised of habitat, quarry, and raptors. The IAF has been involved at the international level with supporting and advocating for the sustainable use of raptors for falconry for many years. A team of experts from the IAF presented at the 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP12) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which took place from October 6-17, 2014 in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea. The presentation addressed how the sustainable use of wildlife is being recognized as a way to help conserve biological diversity; sustainable use of wild raptors has been at the core of the basic practice of falconry for millennia.

The proposed allocation of permits for wild take of raptors for falconry, including the northern goshawk, are very reasonable. The proposed allocation is based on very conservative harvest numbers for the species requested and the demand for those species by licensed falconers. If approved by the MNFR, you will continue to protect biodiversity in the province, while at the same time expanding recreational falconry opportunities. I hope that you will approve the request.

I appreciate the opportunity provided by the MNFR to comment on this proposal.

Best regards,

Dan Cecchini
Vice President, International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey

Cecchini, D.N., Park, S., & Marghescu, T. (2014, October). Falconry and Falconer’s Activities Associated with Sustainable Wildlife Management. Presented at 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 12) Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea. Retrieved from https://www.cbd.int/kb/record/sideEvent/3289?RecordType=sideEvent and https://www.iaf.org/download/Conservation/Compendium%20COP12%20Side%20E… and https://www.cbd.int/cop/cop-12/cop12/vtable/iaf-falconry-conservation-f…