THE Founding member of Animal Responsibility of Cyprus (ARC) said yesterday it was unacceptable and completely illegal for betting stalls to sell live wild birds in cages at the Limassol Wine Festival.
As a member of the Green party, Kyriacos Kyriacou reported that a number of tourists and concerned citizens had reported the incident to the party and were shocked at the lack of care for the welfare of the imprisoned birds, including parrots.
Local authorities have a responsibility when giving out stall licences to check what they are selling, he said.
Offering wild birds in cages as a gambling prize in public places is against the 1994 law on the welfare and protection of animals, which states, “no person may exhibit animals in public or present them to the public for commercial or decorative purposes without a licence from the relevant authority,” in this case the Veterinary Services.
The law also stipulates that animals must be kept in an environment which fulfils their ethological and other natural needs. Kyriacou pointed out that stall owners were not the only ones violating these laws, as many pet shop owners did not properly consider the welfare of the animals: “They must have proper cages, appropriate food, covers for birds which are preparing to roost and not have fluorescent lights in the store keeping them awake all night.”
The District Animal Welfare Committee in Limassol is organising, in co-operation with the Veterinary Services, a seminar in September to inform and enlighten farmers, pet shop owners, the police and other interested bodies, on what the law says. “It is done in a spirit of co-operation to let people know what’s required of them, from the law enforcer to the seller, trainer or breeder,” said Kyriacou.
New regulations soon to be implemented will require animal breeders or trainers to verify their status with requisite documents.
Kyriacou highlighted that it was pointless enacting laws on animal welfare as part of the EU harmonisation process without providing the necessary infrastructure to back them up.
He warned that the impending law on the transport of animals could not be passed until the groundwork was done to ensure enforcement of the law. “If there is no infrastructure regarding the responsibility to enforce the law, such as a budget and appointed inspectors, then what is the point of implementing EU directives? It’s not enough just to have signed papers,” he said.
“After all,” pleaded Kyriacou, “we, as human beings, domesticated animals so I think we should take some responsibility for them.”
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
