Posted on April, 25 2005

Dubai, UAE – Falcons, used for centuries to hunt game in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are being registered and issued ‘passports’ to help reduce the illegal trade in the species. 
 
WWF’s UAE project office is working with local management authorities from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to create a passport system to regulate falconry as well as trade in falcons.
 
“Today no falcons can be taken abroad by their owners unless they are in possession of passports for their birds,” said Dr Frederic Launay, Director of the WWF UAE Project Office.

“The Falcon Passport provides a legal structure that complies with CITES and, at the same time, provides falconers with a permissible, easy-to-use way to participate in the traditional sport of falconry.” 
 
Bedouin tribes in the Middle East have long used falcons for hunting game and sporting activities, and are an integral part of the Arab world’s lifestyle and tradition. However, their numbers in the wild have declined in recent years, largely as a result from over trapping. 
 
Certain falcon species are becoming increasingly rare in the wild, including the saker falcon (Falco chernig), peregrine falcon (Falco cherrug perigrinus) and gyr falcon (Falco rusticolus) – the three most commonly used in falconry. These species are also listed in CITES Appendix I or II in which commercial trade is either not allowed or allowed only with CITES permit.
 
”Although the clandestine nature of falconry makes quantification of the illegal trade difficult, it can be safely assumed that saker, peregrine and gyr falcons are the most targeted for the black market,” added Dr Launay. “High demand coupled with increasing rarity in the wild has made the trade more profitable.”
 
With the aim of reducing the illegal trade in falcons, a passport system has been established in the UAE, which is linked with an already existing falcon registration process started in 2002 with the help of WWF UAE and the CITES Secretariat.
 
Depending on the CITES Appendix a falcon is listed under, falcon owners will be registered and granted a Falcon Passport for their bird to ease frequent movement across borders for purposes of falconry. The UAE CITES Management Authorities will be responsible for registering falcons and issuing passports. 
 
Notes:
 
• Falconry is the art of hunting wild prey with trained falcons and hawks. The sport has flourished in the Middle East and Asia for centuries. Falcons are trapped in the autumn, used for hunting in the winter, and released back into the wild in spring. But, in the last 50 years falconry has changed because hunting has drastically reduced numbers of game available for the sport. In search of better hunting grounds, falconers of the UAE commonly go to Pakistan or Iran during the hunting season. As certain falcons are becoming increasingly rare in the wild, illegal trade in several species is increasing with falconers willing to pay high prices for wild-caught birds. 
 
• Falcon registration requires information about the owner and his bird (sex, breed, country of origin, captive-bred or wild, and required CITES documents). The falcon is then issued a passport and government ring. A micro-chip (Passive Induced Transponder - PIT) carrying an identification number is also implanted in each bird. 

For further information:
Rashmi De Roy, Communications
WWF United Arab Emirates Project Office
Tel +971 4 3537761
E-Mail: rderoy@wwfuae.ae