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THE MASSACRE OF MIGRANT BIRDS IN CYPRUS |
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The geographical position of the island of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean gives it especial importance as a stopping place for millions of migrant birds moving between Africa, Europe and western Asia each year. During the northward migration in Spring, and the southward movement in the Autumn, huge numbers of birds of almost 300 different species use Cyprus as a stepping-stone during their arduous flights across the Mediterranean. Because of the morphology of the island, the migrants tend to ‘funnel’ into certain areas, making them extremely vulnerable to human interference. Although Cyprus has laws forbidding the trapping of birds, large numbers of trappers act in breach of the law causing death to millions of migrants annually by the use of illegal lime-sticking and mist-netting. The birds are driven towards the lime-sticks and nets
in the early morning by the trappers shouting and throwing stones into the
bushes to flush the birds out. A newer, and even more lethal method,
involves the use of tape-recorded birdsong to attract the migrants to their
deaths. The use of such recordings is illegal, but is becoming increasingly
widespread. The trapped birds are usually killed, the exception being any particularly exotic species which might be retained alive for the caged bird trade. Unwanted species are simply killed and discarded, the remainder are killed and sold as ‘ambellopoulia’, a high-priced delicacy on the island. The birds are pickled or grilled, and sold in tavernas. A diner will typically eat his way through a dozen or more ‘ambellopoulia’. The serving of these birds is illegal, but the law is not observed. The price for a plate of ambellopoulia in 2007 is €40. Most trapping takes place in the south, and
especially the south-east, of the island during the Autumn migration,
although the trappers are also out during the Spring migration, when their
cull is especially harmful since it occurs before the birds have had a
chance to breed. Some trapping also takes place in the mountains. The most
notorious regions are, paradoxically, also the most popular tourist areas:
from Paralimni and Protaras on the east coast, to Ayia Napa on the south.
Here, few migrants survive the trapping: the nets and lime-sticks are
everywhere, including within the Cape Greco National Park, along nature
trails, and even in the grounds of hotels.
The result of insufficient official monitoring in the
past was that by the year 2000 trapping had spiralled out of control. It is estimated
that over 15 million birds are killed in Cyprus each year, of which those
legally hunted are only a small proportion. Estimates that 75% of all
migrants birds landing in the worst affected areas are caught and killed may
be an under-calculation: observers in those areas state that it is rare to
see any bird alive except those caught in nets or on lime-sticks. No
species can survive predation on this scale. The massacre must be stopped. The trapping is completely indiscriminate and many of the birds taken are from species which are already endangered or in decline, and certainly include species which are a popular and cherished part of the natural heritage in other parts of Europe. In many European countries much is being done to protect these species, but these efforts are rendered useless if birds are massacred on reaching Cyprus. Action taken: Terra Cypria in cooperation with Birdlife International and Birdlife Cyprus has brought the matter to the attention of the Berne Convention for the protection of European Wildlife & Habitats and secured a recommendation addressed to the Cyprus Government and the British Bases (Rec. no. 90(2001)). The situation is also reviewed annually by the Committee. Despite considerably increasing Government measures since 2002, which have included overnight raids on trappers as well as a few surprise raids on tavernas, there is a fierce resistance by trappers in the Famagusta region, who are also supported by some of the local authorities and local MPs. It is worth mentioning that one of the restauranteurs caught red-handed was a member of a local authority. Please write to the mayors of Ayia Napa, Paralimni and Dherynia, and also to the MPs Mr Antonis Karras and Mr Demetris Sampson, at the addresses provided below, urging them to take this issue seriously, because Europe values its wildlife and will not tolerate the illegal activities of bird-catchers in Cyprus which are undermining the conservation efforts of the rest of the Community. It would be very helpful if you could send a copy of your letter to Terra Cypria. The addresses are:
Lime-sticks are twigs, about a metre long, which are covered in an extremely sticky ‘glue’ made by boiling up the fruit of the Syrian plum-tree. These sticks are placed in bushes, or sometimes inserted into the ends of bamboo poles, to provide very inviting perches for birds. Any bird landing on a lime-stick becomes stuck, falls upside down, and as it flutters to free itself it becomes progressively more attached to the stick. The birds do not usually die quickly: this is a long, lingering death, which may only occur when the trapper arrives to cut their throats or crush their heads. The manufacture, sale, ownership, and use of
lime-sticks is illegal, but the law has been very widely flouted: bunches of
lime-sticks have, until this year, been openly on sale, even in
tourist-frequented markets, and their use is very widespread. The use of
lime-sticks for bird-trapping goes back for centuries, and in the past was a means by which
poor people supplemented a meagre diet. That is no longer the case: Cyprus
now has an extremely high standard of living, and most liming is done for
(tax-free) profit. Mist-nets are very fine filament nets, up to ten metres high which can be strung end-to-end to make invisible ‘walls of death’ for the birds. These nets may be stretched across water-courses, or between trees and bushes (which are often planted and irrigated solely for the purpose of attracting birds for trapping). The importation of mist-nets into Cyprus is illegal, but thousands are smuggled into the country and acquired by the trappers. They cost about CyŁ80 (about US$120) each, an indication of how profitable their use is. Unlike the use of lime-sticks, netting in Cyprus is not traditional. |
Relevant links:
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds The Ornithology.com website The Fat Birder website on Cyprus Kypros.org page on blackcap in Cyprus Professor Jim Locke's website The Proact Cyprus Project A relevant article from the Cyprus Mail Bird trapping in other countries
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