Boutersem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Boutersem officially discontinued its subsidy initiative to protect lapwing nests because farmer applications reached zero levels, according to officials who stated that lapwing populations had diminished notably.
The Boutersem local government stopped offering subsidies to protect lapwing nests after farmers failed to show their support. The Boutersem municipality introduced a €50 payment program to farmers who protected lapwing nests in 2022; however, they received no applications from the farmers.
Local authorities terminated the subsidy because the lapwing population decline rendered the protection program useless.
“Too few birds, no applications,”
stated municipal officials, indicating that the absence of nesting lapwings rendered the subsidy redundant. The municipality took this step to show its dedication to biodiversity and species conservation in regional agricultural spaces.
The lapwing maintains its hidden nests by creating shallow depression-lined with twigs that navigate parcels but remains at serious risk from agricultural farm operations. The smooth colour match of the eggs with their environment puts them at severe risk of being destroyed during manual or mechanical soil manipulation. The municipality introduced a 2022 subsidy program to protect lapwing nests, but it discovered that no farmers used the benefit after conducting its two-year assessment. Alderman Tobe Schoenmakers (Voor Boutersem) remarked,
“Not a single application was made during that period. That seemed to us reason enough to make thorough adjustments if you don’t want regulations that are an empty shell.”
Boutersem’s authorities have changed direction toward comprehensive conservation work because of this development. The authorities intend to introduce new regulations to protect endangered species through lapwings and additional vulnerable species.
The municipality now says it wants to support the lapwing differently:
“We are in favour of a broader foster species regulation in which the lapwing is included, but in which a number of other species are also protected. In this way, we can spend the budget usefully instead of reserving it every year without being able to use it.“
Currently, limited budgets can be spent more efficiently using this alternative approach rather than maintaining unused subsidy payments. Groen Boutersem has called for urgency in developing this new regulation, emphasising that
“Lapwings have been breeding since the beginning of March. Time is therefore running out to work out this new regulation and make it known to farmers and volunteers.”
The municipality is now focused on creating a comprehensive framework that will encourage active participation from local farmers in species protection.
What factors contribute to the decline of Lapwing populations?
European lapwing populations (Vanellus vanellus) face decreasing numbers because European human activities reduce their habitats. Various parts of Germany, alongside sections of the UK, have put forward similar conservation strategies to safeguard lapwing nests as farmers conduct their operational tasks. For instance, in Germany, projects have been established that involve collaboration between farmers and ornithologists to create designated “lapwing plots” where nesting success can be maximised through careful management practices.
The protection of lapwings requires between 900 to 5600 hectares of habitat space across different areas, according to statistical evidence, while the annual conservation expenses range from 1.2 million to 2.6 million Euros. The declining population numbers have prompted the development of different funding instruments that demonstrate the need for comprehensive conservation strategies involving community members.
Scientific investigations demonstrate that optimal clutch protection protocols decrease farming-related losses of nests by substantial amounts. In particular, studies showed Lower Saxony achieved an average reduction of farming-related nest loss from 9% down to nearly 0%.
