Reports sent to the European Commission on the spring hunting derogation over the past three years consistently show a spike in hunters’ SMS reports in the last three days of the season, raising concerns on the data’s validity.
During the spring hunting season, hunters are legally obliged to report shot birds immediately via a text message to the authorities.
But for three years in a row, the bulk of SMS reports lodged occur at the end of the season, leading to suspicion that hunters are not reporting shot birds early in the season to avoid quotas being reached.
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