Over the past few years, the European hunting community has seen a leap in the availability of modern technologies that can be used to collect a wide array of hunting or wildlife-related data. They are using this modern technology to answer the challenges faced in wildlife conservation. Amidst biodiversity loss, a systematic and credible method to track game species trends is crucial for sustainable resource management.
An example is the launch of the Observatorio Cinegético in Spain in 2019. This project aims to establish a nationwide survey system for game species, where hunters and game managers generate reliable data on population trends to inform management decisions. Operating through a mobile app, CensData, and a virtual platform, the project collects and processes field data to support wildlife management decisions. It focuses on monitoring population trends through the Kilometric Abundance Index (KAI), derived from censuses conducted by hunters. These must be repeated annually under consistent conditions to ensure data comparability and to draw accurate population trends.
In addition to such monitoring methods, the GPS tracking of birds to gather crucial data in understanding population dynamics and movements (such as productivity and timing of migration) is increasingly being used by several hunting organisations. Among other projects, Snipes are being tagged in France, Turtle Doves in Spain and Italy, or Wigeon, in the framework of the Project Penelope, led by the Waterfowlers Network.
In the framework of the Turtle Dove Adaptive Harvest Management, many countries have also developed online tools to collect harvest data in real time, to follow the progress of the quota and to stop hunting once this quota is reached.
Beyond birds, technologies are also used for big game monitoring and conservation. For example, the Viltbild project developed in Sweden, a platform for collecting and analysing images from large networks of camera traps, or the monitoring of invasive alien species with digital tools.
Drones are also increasingly part of hunters’ toolkits. These scan fields before crop harvesting to detect and save wildlife from farming machinery. Several projects have been carried out in Germany and Switzerland, with the support of Blaser with the “in Germany, France, Hungary, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria.
Natlink: Europe’s leading hunting technology company
Recently, FACE welcomed a partnership with Natlink, the largest hunting tech company in Europe. Commenting on this partnership, Carl von Eckermann, Natlink CEO stated: “We are proud to embark on this exciting collaboration with FACE, aligning our technological expertise with the shared goal of promoting sustainable wildlife conservation and management”.
Natlink is Europe’s leading hunting technology company, born from the synergy of WeHunt, Tracker, and Burrel, Natlink. It aims to empower hunters and wildlife managers with the latest innovations and tools that enhance their ability to monitor, understand, and protect nature.
This FACE-Natlink partnership helps to address critical environmental challenges, from tracking biodiversity trends to reducing conflicts between humans and wildlife. By integrating Natlink’s innovative solutions and advanced data platform, wildlife monitoring can be streamlined, and Europe’s hunting community can be further unified, creating a more sustainable future for wildlife and ecosystems across Europe.
Policy Relevance
There is an increasing push towards citizen science initiatives across Europe. These projects, often driven by hunters and hunters’ organisations, are great examples of how stakeholders are helping to support wildlife monitoring and management efforts. Hunters know how important it is to provide up-to-date science-based information to policy-makers to support sound decision-making. Without good evidence, there is a tendency to rely on the precautionary principle, which results in more restrictive decisions that are negative to hunters.
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