ALMOST 2,800 traps were seized or destroyed, dozens more reported and in excess of 100 birds released during the latest Cyprus campaign by the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS).
CABS and Friends of the Earth Cyprus, in cooperation with responsible Cypriot law enforcement conducted a major campaign against song bird poaching, from April 13-25, the group said yesterday.
The ‘Spring 2011 Bird Protection Camp’, a major field survey and anti-poaching campaign, was focused in the Larnaca and Famagusta districts.
A total of 13 ornithologists, conservationists and environmentalists from Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Germany participated in the camp.
According to an announcement, a total of 2,798 limesticks, 11 mist nets and eight electronic bird decoy devices were seized or destroyed and a
further 37 trapping installations reported to the authorities.
“Law enforcement arrested two poachers, who were caught red-handed at their trapping sites,” said CABS.
It said a total of 103 birds were freed from the traps while another 37 were found already dead.
“In addition with Blackcaps (Ambelopoulia), numerous species of
conservation concern, such as Wryneck, Masked Shrike, Spotted Flycatcher and Redstart were found on the limesticks and in the nets,” CABS said.
“Although Cyprus is considered as a ‘biodiversity hotspot area’ and its bird fauna is particularly rich, almost one third of bird species recorded in the island are affected by illegal trapping with limesticks and mistnets to a greater or lesser extent,” added CABS general secretary, Alexander Heyd.
“Furthermore, more than half of the bird species that are affected are in decline to a greater or lesser extent, while many of those are already facing the danger of extinction.”
In contrast with previous camps, no immediate physical violence was this time used against the conservationists and environmentalists. “Nonetheless, it is evident that trappers have no real fear of prosecution,” said CABS.
“The almost blanket distribution of the traps, the failure by the majority of trappers to acknowledge the illegality of their acts, as well as their blatant and violent behaviour, demonstrate that the measures taken to date by the authorities to combat bird poaching are a long way from being effective”, said Klitos Papastylianou, biodiversity and environmental rights campaigner for Friends of the Earth Cyprus.
