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A Menorca man faces a staggering fine of up to 200,000 euros for destroying five swallow nests in a building in the town of Alaior last month. Officers from the Nature Protection Service (Seprona) of the Guardia Civil tracked down the suspect after a neighbour complained that he had removed the nests from underneath her balcony on Carrer des Melinas.

 

Swallows frequently nest in corners of buildings and roofs and often return to the same sites each summer; although they can be messy, these birds and their temporary homes, along with other migratory species such as swifts and house martins, are protected by both Spanish and European law and the destruction of their nests carries very hefty fines.

 

The Spanish decree states that it is “forbidden to intentionally kill, harm, annoy or disturb wild animals, whatever the method used or the phase of their biological cycle. This prohibition includes their retention and live capture, the destruction, damage, collection and retention of their nests, their young or their eggs, the latter even when empty, as well as the possession, transport, traffic and trade of live specimens or dead or their remains, including foreign trade”.

 

Therefore, neither tenants nor homeowners are allowed to remove the nests of protected birds whether they contain eggs or chicks or are empty. This is especially vital at this time of year, when swallows are breeding ahead of their long journey back to Africa in the autumn.

 

These birds are vital to Spain’s ecosystem and they can also be a handy household ally, as they consume a huge number of insects that could otherwise become greater pests.

 

Without this massive ingestion of insects, the damage to agriculture could multiply, which is why these birds are considered essential for the protection of crops and food security itself.

 

Anyone who witnesses the destruction of nests can file a corresponding complaint with Seprona.

 

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