**4. Conclusion**

The sum of 1.241.000 DZD shows that the European goldfinch trading generated a parallel and informal market, which is illegal, also without any form of financial monitoring and control. The goldfinch individuals who supply Algerian market are often sold at less than 20 MAD per unit to Moroccan smugglers networks. All birds are transported illicitly to Algeria. Their final price can reach up to 15.000 DZD (around 1.400 MAD). On the Moroccan market, the simple goldfinch is sold between 70 and 100 MAD. The cost varies according to the song and age of the bird. For example, the selling of this species in Oujda market (Morocco) varies between 70 and 100 DH. In Algeria, the selling price is reaching up to 7.000–15.000 DZD. The price of the young goldfinch individuals is between 30 and 50 MAD, then traded around 2.000 DZD (135 MAD) in Algeria.

Globally, annual data compiled by nature conservation authorities and nongovernmental organizations estimate that the wildlife trade market (and among them the European goldfinch) generates an annual turnover of over USD 20 billion. Placing this traffic in third place after drug trafficking and arms trafficking [21]. These illegal practices are apprehended by the competent authorities whether it is the elements of the Algerian customs or the agents of Algerian forestry department.

**149**

**Author details**

BEE Lab, SNVSTU Faculty, 08 Mai 1945 University, Guelma, Algeria

© 2021 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,

Theses authorities organize each year the release of these birds confiscated from this traffic to maintain the natural population (**Figure 5**). The birds were observed in 2016 in Djurdjura National Park (TIKJDA sector) when 80 individuals were

*Thousands of goldfinch individuals resulting from illegal trading apprehended in the north-western region of* 

The author thanks all volunteers who contributed to this survey, especially, residents of Bouira district (center Algeria), Guelma and Souk Ahras (east Algeria).

\*Address all correspondence to: mouslim.bara@gmail.com

provided the original work is properly cited.

Bara Mouslim

released [23].

**Figure 5.**

**Acknowledgements**

*Algeria near the Moroccan border [22].*

*The Conservation of European Goldfinch in North Algeria*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97236*

## **Figure 5.**

*Birds - Challenges and Opportunities for Business, Conservation and Research*

The sum of 1.241.000 DZD shows that the trading of this songbird has generated a parallel and informal market which is illegal, and without any form of financial monitoring and control. All bird individuals supplied to the Algerian market are often sold wholesale to less than 20 MAD per unit by the Moroccan smuggler networks who transport them illicitly to Algeria. There the final price can reach up to 15.000 DA (around 1.400 MAD). On the Moroccan market, the single goldfinch is sold between 70 and 100 DH. The cost varies according to the talent of the bird and its age. An adult bird in Oujda market (Morocco) is sold 70–100 MAD, then transported to Algeria for selling between 20.000 DZD (corresponds to 1360 MAD). The young birds' price in Oujda varies between 30 and 50 MAD and selling price in Algeria is around 2.000 DZD (corresponds to

Warning results on this species and the number of birds in cages approved the causes of its extinction, indeed, during these last ten years the population of this passerine has been under a strong selective pressure and a decline in nature population. Many observations done by ecologists from Guelma university reported that in Guelma, Souk Ahras, Bouira and Algeirs forests the European goldfinch is almost missing [18]. According to Algerian forest department, an unemployed young person, had a project, to sell 5000 individuals in illegal market of Boumati (El-Harrach – Algiers) at 4.000 DZD, while he acquired them at 200 DZD only from the markets of Maghnia (Tlemcen) situated in Algerian Moroccan

Poaching and wild hunting decimated 80% of the goldfinch species in our region

(Algeria). This problem is done by different techniques: poachers place a female goldfinch inside a cage to seduce the males who easily fall into the trap, the head dead, this technique allows non-selective capture of no less than 20 birds at a time [19] and the birds are captured also by glue. Bedhiaf and Kharoubi [20] report that the crossing of goldfinch in captivity is more successful with canary. This cross bird is highly regarded for its beauty and strong voice. The Environmental Protection committee proposed reducing this poaching by authorization certificate during the hunting season. Each breeder is not allowed to hunt more than ten goldfinches per

The sum of 1.241.000 DZD shows that the European goldfinch trading generated a parallel and informal market, which is illegal, also without any form of financial monitoring and control. The goldfinch individuals who supply Algerian market are often sold at less than 20 MAD per unit to Moroccan smugglers networks. All birds are transported illicitly to Algeria. Their final price can reach up to 15.000 DZD (around 1.400 MAD). On the Moroccan market, the simple goldfinch is sold between 70 and 100 MAD. The cost varies according to the song and age of the bird. For example, the selling of this species in Oujda market (Morocco) varies between 70 and 100 DH. In Algeria, the selling price is reaching up to 7.000–15.000 DZD. The price of the young goldfinch individuals is between 30 and 50 MAD, then

Globally, annual data compiled by nature conservation authorities and nongovernmental organizations estimate that the wildlife trade market (and among them the European goldfinch) generates an annual turnover of over USD 20 billion. Placing this traffic in third place after drug trafficking and arms trafficking [21]. These illegal practices are apprehended by the competent authorities whether it is the elements of the Algerian customs or the agents of Algerian forestry department.

**148**

136 MAD) [17].

border [17].

**4. Conclusion**

trip which should protect this species [20].

traded around 2.000 DZD (135 MAD) in Algeria.

*Thousands of goldfinch individuals resulting from illegal trading apprehended in the north-western region of Algeria near the Moroccan border [22].*

Theses authorities organize each year the release of these birds confiscated from this traffic to maintain the natural population (**Figure 5**). The birds were observed in 2016 in Djurdjura National Park (TIKJDA sector) when 80 individuals were released [23].
