🐻🐦11. 28 CBRC : Protecting Fish and Fruit While Harming Birds?

As a field researcher with the CBRC Bird & Human Conflict study group, I've witnessed many instances of human-bird conflict. I want to share these experiences to raise awareness and highlight that this is a real "conflict," not something to be normalized.

This is a story that evokes both sadness and frustration, with the protagonist being the bird nets that people both love and hate.

In fields, on branches laden with fruit, and in aquaculture ponds teeming with fish and shrimp, these are all tempting places for foraging birds. To protect their hard-earned crops, farmers and aquaculturists install bird nets. However, while these nets protect fish and fruit, they can also trap and harm birds.

Can we both protect agriculture and birds? "We hope to let everyone hear the voices of farmers and minimize human-bird conflicts to protect biodiversity as much as possible," said Tingting Li, Senior Manager of Animal Welfare at the Longqiao Black Bear Rescue Center (hereinafter referred to as the Rescue Center). This fall, my service at the Rescue Center initiated the "Seeding Knowledge to Protect Avian Guardians" public welfare project and organized field research and educational outreach around Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

The Longquan Mountains are located on the eastern edge of the Chengdu Plain in western Sichuan Basin. The ecological environment here is superior, attracting many bird species and serving as a dream destination for birdwatchers. At the same time, the mountains are dotted with numerous orchards, primarily peach, pear, and loquat trees.

This fall, we encountered a heartbreaking scene in the Longquan Mountains.

On that day, after completing our monitoring work, we were descending a rugged mountain path when suddenly, bird cries caught our attention. The sound seemed to come from an orchard mixed with peach and cherry trees. Through binoculars, we saw a group of birds quenching their thirst near a water body. But when we raised the binoculars slightly higher, joy immediately turned to horror. Just above the ditch, a net had trapped many birds. This net not only covered the area above the ditch but also surrounded the orchard. Most birds on the net were motionless, with only a few weakly struggling.

Among them, a fist-sized black dot caught our attention. Upon closer inspection, we were shocked—it was a collared owlet, a nationally protected animal. However, it had already lost its life.

We hurried to rescue the surviving birds, and the orchard owner also rushed over upon hearing the news. Upon learning that some bird species are protected, the orchard owner felt remorseful yet helpless. He explained that the net was set up solely to protect fruits from bird damage, not intentionally to trap birds.

The use of bird nets is not uncommon. Li Tingting explained that this fall, the organization conducted eight surveys around Chengdu, visiting aquaculture sites and orchards, and "in every activity, we found bird nets."

Visit #1: Why do nets that hurt birds have a market?

Bird nets can cause varying degrees of harm to birds depending on their material, color, mesh size, etc. Our investigation at the Black Bear Rescue Center found that ordinary bird nets come in various colors, with thick and sturdy wires. Sticky nets that are more likely to harm birds and insects are often black or transparent, making them hard to spot from a distance, causing birds to easily get stuck. Due to their thin and easily knotted lines, struggling birds may become more entangled the more they struggle to escape.

If you don't look closely, some bird nets are hard to detect.

Cheap prices make sticky nets more competitive in the market. Bird nets available in the market vary in price depending on mesh size and area. To compare price differences, we selected nets of the same specifications with different characteristics online. "We found that the price difference is about 10 times," said Xiao Wang, a project staff member at the Black Bear Rescue Center. Fruit growers typically use expensive bird nets only when planting high-value fruit trees like cherries. During the investigation, we also discovered bird-friendly bird nets, which are more expensive and less common. At the same time, the low cost and ease of installation of sticky nets make them more popular among farmers. Ordinary bird nets have thick and heavy wires and require brackets for installation, while sticky nets are lightweight, equipped with loops on both sides, and can be easily erected with two bamboo poles.

In addition, farmers' awareness of bird protection needs to be improved. Do farmers intercept birds with nets, protecting trees and fish fry? Will farmers be willing to rescue wild birds on hanging nets? During a visit, we found that many farmers believe that dead birds hung on nets have a deterrent effect on other birds, making them reluctant to approach. "This not only leads to the use of sticky nets but also reduces farmers' willingness to rescue birds caught in nets." However, we found no scientific basis for this view among farmers in the literature.

#2: Enhancing farmers' motivation to protect birds is crucial

"Of course, we can criticize farmers from the perspective of animal protection, and harming birds with nets should be severely punished," said Li Tingting. "But we also need to listen to farmers' voices, change our negative views on birds eating fruits, and find economic compensation solutions."

Starting this fall, the Black Bear Rescue Center has conducted scientific investigations to understand the bird protection measures adopted by fruit growers and aquaculturists, the profitability of using bird nets, bird activity patterns, willingness to cooperate in bird protection, and methods. Online surveys have been released to collect similar human-bird conflict case data from various areas. At the same time, the organization communicates with fruit growers and aquaculturists, promotes the standardized use of bird nets, and encourages and trains fruit growers and aquaculturists to actively patrol and rescue wild birds caught in nets.

In the past, we loved bird watching, climbing mountains, and hiking, but often overlooked bird nets in the fields. Participating in the survey made us pay attention to bird nets and touched us: "We used to know too little about the benefits of birds, but instead thought they would compete with humans for food, with many negative impressions."

In response, the Black Bear Rescue Center also plans to conduct publicity on bird welfare, human-bird conflicts, biodiversity protection, etc., in schools, communities, and other public places in Chengdu and key research areas.

Consumer attitudes also influence producers' behaviors. Xiao Wang introduced that during the production process, if fruit growers and aquaculturists reduce the use of bird nets and share their harvest with birds, it means sacrificing a certain amount of yield. Products produced in this bird-friendly manner will have a higher unit price. "If consumers can accept them and are willing to pay more for them, it will undoubtedly provide positive incentives for farmers."

Economic benefits are key to determining the enthusiasm of fruit growers and aquaculturists for bird protection. "We hope that everyone can use bird-friendly methods such as reflective strips and sound to prevent birds, but these methods are indeed more expensive and difficult to maintain," Xiao Wang said. In the future, if we can provide subsidies to bird protection farmers through agricultural insurance and other means, it will help enhance their bird protection motivation. However, this path is not easy: "We are constantly exploring."