Bird Trapping with Lime Sticks in the Mediterranean

Bird trapping with lime sticks kills an estimated 2 million migrating songbirds annually across Cyprus, Italy, and Egypt, with a single illegal trap in Cyprus capturing 150 birds in one day. This ancient method coats branches with adhesive, ensnaring endangered species like the European turtle dove, whose populations have declined 80% since 1980. Despite EU bans with fines up to €20,000, an estimated 10% of Cyprus’s rural population still participates, making it the least enforced practice on the list.