A TOTAL of 27 poachers have been arrested in the last three weeks by a special anti-poaching unit of Akrotiri SBA, working in co-operation with the Republic’s Game Fund.
“Following checks in the area, we have tracked and arrested 27 people hunting illegally, while, among other items, we confiscated 29 shotguns, one thousand hunting cartridges, limesticks and nets, two birdsong-imitating devices and 38 traps,” said Andreas Pitsillides, Deputy Police Chief at Akrotiri SBA.
The patrols were carried out in the forests of Fassouri-Kolossi, Trahoni-Episkopi and Paramali. The poachers arrested by the joint patrols were charged and released on bail, pending a trial date.
“We call hunters to stop this ‘bad habit’. Anti-poaching joint patrols will continue to take place,” Pitsillides confirmed.
“We welcome the fact that the SBA and the Game Fund are now co-operating with joint anti-poaching patrols,” said Martin Hellicar, Director of BirdLife Cyprus.
“These patrols are necessary to prevent any sort of repeat of October’s falcon massacre,” added Hellicar, referring to the killing of 52 endangered Falcons, Falco vespertinus, in Fassouri.
Following the illegal killings, BirdLife Cyprus had pointed out that the Akrotiri peninsula had been a poaching ‘black spot’ for a long time. The main problem on the peninsula in recent years has been the absence of such joint action. Taking advantage of this enforcement gap, illegal hunters have been profiting along the boundary between the SBA and Republic, simply stepping across the dividing line to avoid either SBA Police or Game Fund patrols.
Meanwhile, conservationists are concerned about the delays in the trial of the two men charged by the SBA Court with the deliberate killings of the protected falcons. The trial has been postponed twice already, following the request of the defence. The two suspects, a 47-year-old and a 60-year-old, both from Limassol, are represented in court by EVROKO MP Rikkos Erotokritou.
“The trial on January 30 was postponed because the defence legal team did not turn up. It is up to the Judge to decide to postpone the trials, given that the defence legal team have a valid excuse,” said SBA spokesman Ray Wilson Pinchin.
“The SBA is keen to have the case heard ASAP. Rest assured, we are making the effort,” Pinchin confirmed.
“It is unfortunate that we have not had a conclusion on an issue that has attracted international attention,” commented Hellicar.
“It would be positive to have a satisfactory conclusion to this atrocious case. It would be in everyone’s interest to have a speedy conclusion, and if the two suspects are found guilty, to impose a heavy punishment against them.
“It is also important that the right message on poaching is clearly given, not just for Cyprus, but for Europe as a whole,” Hellicar added.
The next trial date has been set for February 26.
