Áramütések okozta madárpusztulások elemzése állatvédelmi és jogi szempontból

Abstract

Background: Comprehensive analyses of bird deaths caused by electrocution have so far been carried out mainly by conservationists with some legal insights, but to our knowledge the problem has not yet been addressed from an animal welfare perspective. Given that it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of birds are affected by such accidents each year, a significant proportion of which do not survive the contact with the power lines, - and the rest suffer permanent health damage and are to be kept in captivity for the rest of their lives - the issue is well worth reviewing to raise awareness of the animal welfare issues involved. Objectives: Our aim was to present this phenomenon from a perspective that has not yet been analyzed, while listening to several points of view and then to outline what measures could be taken, if not to provide a complete solution - which could presumably take decades – but at least to reduce such mortality in the future, thus safeguarding the biodiversity of our planet's bird fauna. Materials and Methods: We wanted to use several methods to assess the attitudes of people who regularly encounter the problem of electrocution of birds. In addition to personal interviews and their comparison with the available literature, we also prepared a questionnaire to assess the views of people who actively use social media sites on this somewhat specific issue, which affects everyone, but not everyone deals with it in their daily lives. Results and Discussion: The results show that there is a widespread belief that it would be appropriate to create a more tangible legal category for electrocutions, which would at least allow for sanctions, if not necessarily impose them. In addition, more recent surveys and data would be essential to gain a clearer picture of the current situation and to assess whether there has indeed been a downward trend in the level of bird mortality in recent years. Further research would also be needed to establish general protocols on how to provide the best conditions for permanently injured individuals and when euthanasia is indeed justified.