BIRDLIFE Cyprus yesterday warned illegal bird trapping was up 100 per cent, despite government assurances that the trade in ambelopoulia had decreased following a joint campaign with British Bases (SBA) police.
The environmental group said studies showed the use of illegal lime sticks and mist nets to catch birds was well up on last year.
This flies in the face of assurances by the government that it is winning the war with the trappers.
In a recent letter to House Environment Committee chairman Eleni Mavrou, Interior Minister Andreas Christou said the government remained committed to clamping down on illegal bird trapping, but noted that certain deputies’ support for bird trappers had created a poor image of Cyprus in the EU.
In 2001, the government and the SBA were reported to the Convention on the Conservation of EU Wildlife and Natural Habitat (Berne Convention) by various local and international environmental organisations, for not implementing the legislation for the protection of birds and not living up to their obligations under the convention.
Cyprus was heavily criticised at the Council of Europe in December 2001 for its stance on bird trapping, but the Berne Convention Committee decided not to open a file on the island.
However, the UK and Cyprus received a recommendation that they adopt the necessary measures to fight illegal bird trapping.
Christou said that, since then, a joint campaign with the SBA had lead to the reporting of over 900 cases related to bird trapping, out of which 388 concerned the possession of mist nets and lime sticks, as well as bird calling devices and other illegal methods for the trapping of birds and especially ambelopoulia.
But Christou admitted that despite Cyprus receiving praise for its campaign from the European Convention, BirdLife maintained the levels of illegal trapping of birds remained at dangerously high levels and insisted a file should be opened on Cyprus in an effort to get the message through that the practice should be stopped.
The request was denied, since the Berne Convention Committee felt Cyprus was taking positive steps.
Christou said the attitude of deputies supporting the illegal trapping of birds and campaigning to make it legal was not helping the government’s case.
“The Game Service is trying to carry out its mission to the best of its abilities but its work is being hampered by various statements made by deputies in favour of illegal bird trapping,” he said.
Christou said the campaign had also been successful this autumn with many cases reported.
Green Party deputy George Perdikis told the Cyprus Mail yesterday he was pleased with the government efforts, saying the party had not received any reports of illegal bird trapping activity until now.
But although a spokesman for BirdLife Cyprus praised the government’s efforts to date, he said a study carried out by experts showed that the use of lime sticks had increased by 60 per cent and the use of mist nets by 100 per cent compared to last year.
The official said the report would be presented during a meeting of the Berne Convention Committee next week, at which BirdLife will express concern over the increase.
