SBA Authorities defend use of the army in anti-poaching operation

SOVEREIGN Base Area (SBA) authorities yesterday played down the involvement of soldiers in dawn raids to seize illegal bird trapping equipment earlier this week, after politicians spoke out against their presence.

SBA Spokesman Captain James Mansell said yesterday: “This was an SBA operation, planned and led by SBA police who asked for assistance from the army in their anti mist-netting efforts.”

Mansell said that the soldiers were there in a supportive rather than a protective role for the SBA police, who have been conducting several raids every week.

On Thursday EDEK leader Yiannakis Omirou’s claimed that the Dhekelia garrison “raided Greek Cypriot properties inside the SBA to carry out a mission … that could at least have been done by police and not Her Majesty’s armed forces.”

The use of the army is not new: in the past he second battalion of the Prince of Wales’ Royal Regiment (2 PWRR) have actively assisted SBA police in preventing bird trapping.

Mansell also emphasised the illegality of bird trapping, in both the SBAs and the Republic of Cyprus, saying: “It was an SBA led and run operation on Ministry of Defence land against an illegal activity.”

EVROKO general secretary Rikkos Erotokritou had also joined in condemning the British on Thursday, suggesting that the rights of Cypriots had been violated.

He said: “The government ought to proceed with all necessary action to protect the property rights of residents inside the British bases and denounce the provocative action demanding it will not be repeated.”

The Green Party described the operation as “a theatrical move” without environmental content “but surely of political importance.”

During the raid SBA police recovered  seized 237 metal and concrete bases used to prop the poles where the nets are fixed, 225 metal poles, three batteries, 405 metres of cable, 126 mats, six speakers and five nets, suggesting a strong environmental  focus.



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