Abstract
Countries that are members of the Intergovernmental Task Force on Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean (CMS MIKT) and Bern Convention have all made a commitment to the Rome Strategic Plan (RSP) to eradicate the illegal killing, taking and trade of wild birds (IKB). This includes a 10-year goal to achieve at least a 50% reduction in the number of illegally killed birds by 2030, compared with 2020. At the midpoint of the RSP, a survey of national NGOs and other experts, co- ordinated by BirdLife International and Euronatur, finds encouraging signs of progress in tackling IKB across the region, but warns that many countries will need to significantly scale up their political will, investment, or enforcement efforts to meet this target. IKB trends have improved in some countries, demonstrating that efforts to tackle this issue are making a difference. At the midpoint of the RSP, eight countries (17%) are considered to be either on track to achieve the 50% reduction or have kept IKB at a onsistently low level. Additionally, 12 countries (26%) have achieved slight reductions. 17 countries (37%) have stable or fluctuating IKB levels and significant challenges remain; nine countries (20%) were assessed to have worsening trends in IKB. Among the 10 countries with the highest levels of IKB in 2020, where progress is most urgent, none were assessed to be on track to meet the 50% reduction by 2030, but two had a slight improvement and four had no indication of significant change. Concerning, the remaining four countries were assessed to have a worsening IKB trend. This report highlights areas where governments can invest further to accelerate progress and meet their RSP targets within the next five years. The MIKT/ Bern Convention process is vital in providing a