‘Local politicians must speak out against bird trapping’

BIRDLIFE Cyprus has welcomed the UK Parliament’s urgent call for action to tackle bird trapping in Cyprus and urges local politicians to stand up and speak out in the face of a massive increase in trapping levels.

The House of Commons resolution, dated January 12 and signed by British 34 MPs, calls for “immediate and urgent action” by the British Sovereign Base (SBA) Authorities “in collaboration with the Cypriot authorities to put an end to this illegal and cruel practice”1.

The House of Commons action comes after widespread recent coverage of the problem in the UK media, which focused on the extent of the illegal bird slaughter within the Dhekelia SBA.

In its autumn report, BirdLife Cyprus noted a particular increase in netting within the Dhekelia SBA but also flagged up the alarming upward trend in trapping levels across the island, increased limestick use within Republic areas and, in particular, the continuing failure of the Cypriot authorities to clamp down on restaurants flouting the law by serving trapped bird “delicacies”, known as ambelopoulia.

Ongoing field monitoring by BirdLife Cyprus showed a 35 per cent increase in the use of illegal mist nets during the autumn of 2009, across Cyprus. Trappers use mist nets and limesticks, allied with calling devices, to catch hundreds of thousands of blackcaps and other songbirds for sale as expensive and illegal ambelopoulia delicacies in local restaurants. The indiscriminate nature of the trapping means many birds of threatened species also fall foul of the practice.

“The situation is clearly getting worse and interventions such as the UK parliament’s are therefore welcome. We now need our own politicians – Parliament and Ministers – to stand up and be counted on this,” said a BirdLife Cyprus spokesperson.  “We need a clear political message that trapping will not be tolerated and that offending restaurants will be dealt with, at long last. Such decisive action in 2010 will be symbolic given that 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity.” BirdLife has noted a definite increase in availability of ambelopoulia in restaurants over the past three years.

BirdLife also welcomed a massive sweep operation by the SBA Police and British Army in the Cape Pyla area earlier this week. Lorry loads of netting paraphernalia were removed from what is a trapping hot spot.

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.