WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
Cruz-Flores and coauthors assess how the sustainability of migratory-bird harvest for populations with insecure conservation status can be evaluated in relation to Birds Directive obligations. Their framework identifies species and populations most likely to warrant closer harvest-management attention.
WHY IT MATTERS / OUR READ
A legal permission to hunt is not an ecological demonstration that harvest is sustainable. Species- and population-specific demographic evidence should anchor any policy discussion; separate scientific uncertainty from stakeholder judgments.
CAVEATS / UNCERTAINTY
Risk prioritization and model assumptions do not automatically establish illegal practice or the actual consequences of any specific harvest change.
SOURCE
Journal of Applied Ecology — Cruz-Flores et al. (26 Oct 2026)
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