Beijing is expected to pass legislation this year to ban bird-raising around its airfields, according to a report in the Beijing News.

The article cited Zhang Bin, vice-president of the Beijing Capital International Airport Co. Ltd., as the source. He spoke at an airfield clearance promotion hosted by the airport and the Beijing Shunyi District Government on Saturday.

Besides relocating bird-raisers and culling birds by natural or artificial means, the airport has tried to create a "safe zone" for planes by persuading the government to pass relevant laws or regulations to ban dove-raising, the article quoted Zhang as saying. The airport has made great progress with its efforts this year, he said.

Flying birds pose big threats to flight safety, especially for planes that travel at an altitude of less than 400 meters.

Data from the Civil Aviation authority show that from 2002 to 2007 there were 1,025 incidents where planes hit birds.

(CRI June 30, 2008)