Almost a million birds were illegally killed in just two months on a British
military base in Cyprus last year, according to the RSPB.
Dr Tim Stowe, the RSPB’s international director, called on the Ministry of
Defence (MoD) to do more to stop local poachers, who reportedly took 15,000
birds every day during September and October from British Dhekelia Sovereign
Base Area (SBA).
“The report highlights the illegal trapping of songbirds on the British
military base has escalated and we are urging the Ministry of Defence and the
Base Area authorities to resolve it before this autumn’s migration,” said
Stowe.
But the MoD rejected the RSPB’s findings and questioned the methodology of
the survey.
“We do not accept the report’s unverified claims about loss of bird life
during this period, which was based upon data collected from a very short
period,” said an MoD spokeswoman.
“We are committed to tackling poaching which is why we arrested nearly 50
poachers and seized 450 nets and 286 piece of poaching equipment during the last
migration period. When we catch poachers we can fine them €17,000, or send them
to prison for up to three years. We continue to work with local organisations to
discuss how we can work as effectively as possible.”
A rare male Cyprus
warbler, one of the species at risk of being captured.Photograph: Alamy
RSPB overseas territories team leader Jonathan Hall said the MoD had signed
off on the 12 year old survey’s methodology and that, if anything, the numbers
were conservative.
“It is unfortunate to be questioning something which they previously
accepted. We are confident that the methodology is as robust as we can make it,
does allow valid year on year comparisons, and that our real priority is to
direct energy towards solving the problem,” he said.
BBC wildlife presenter Chris Packham, who has reported extensively from
Cyprus and campaigned against the bird hunt said he believed the numbers, which
were gathered in conjuction with Birdlife Cyprus.
“Birdlife and the RSPB are highly credible organizations and could and would
not be guilty of exaggeration . So yes , incredible but credible . As for the
base , its a disgrace that these figures are so high but perhaps in times of
hefty cuts to their resources and significant military duties their focus has
been understandably elsewhere .
“I’ve worked with the bases on Cyprus before , and know of their commitment ,
so I am again confident that action will be taken now. However, what about what
is going on off the bases ? The Cypriot government need to be seriously
reprimanded and reminded of their duties to uphold their laws to protect birds ,
something our government should be lobbying for.”
The RSPB believe that organised crime groups are now involved in the sale of
the birds’ meat as a black market delicacy. Their monitors have noted the large
scale planting of acacia scrub that both attracts birds and creates corridors
for poachers’ nets to hang. Stowe said the military had made good initial steps
to remove acacia scrub.
Each autumn, vast numbers of songbirds use Cyprus as a place to rest and feed
as they migrate south from Europe to Africa. For centuries Cypriots have hunted
the birds each September and October to make a local dish called Ambelopoulia.
Traditionally trapping was done using branches covered in sticky lime that
birds would land on and be unable to escape. But the invention of large-scale,
indiscriminate netting techniques that capture thousands of birds, including
threatened species, lead to the outlawing of both the dish and the hunting in
1974.
Despite the ban, those in the know can still find Ambelopoulia in the local
tavernas and illicit demand is driving number of birds killed to unprecedented
levels. The RSPB said the amount of birds captured in Dhekelia has tripled since
their monitoring started in 2002.
The majority of the birds captured by the poachers are common species such as
robin and blackcap and the practice of netting them has a negligible effect on
their conservation. The RSPB said the practice is problematic because it also
captures rare species including the Cyprus wheatear and Cyprus warbler.
The SBA is home to almost 16,000 people, half of them British military
personnel and half Cypriots. The RSPB has suggested the MoD is loathe to come
down too hard on the poachers because it will antagonise the local
community.
