More than 400,000 songbirds were trapped and killed in Cyprus last autumn, part of a recent increase in wildlife crime, according to a new report.
Organized crime networks use decoys and loudspeakers playing bird songs to lure these tiny birds, including garden favorites such as robins and sparrows, into nesting in bushes or orchards, then using “fog” nets or glue-coated branches Capture them. They are then sold to restaurants through hidden markets and eaten as a local dish called “ambelopoulia,” which consists of pickled or boiled songbirds.
The report, drawn up by BirdLife Cyprus with support from the RSPB and the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (Cabs), found that 435,000 birds were killed in this way in autumn 2023 alone. While the number of arrests has been on a downward trend over the past decade, there were 90,000 more arrests last year than in 2022.
Martin Hellicar, Director of the Cyprus Bird Conservation Center said: “While good progress has been made in recent years, this fall reminds us that this situation can quickly reverse if enforcement resources are not maintained. “
Cyprus is a stepping stone for many bird species in their massive migration each autumn from their breeding grounds in Europe to their wintering grounds in Africa. Blackcaps, flycatchers, yellow warblers, willow warblers, reed warblers and cetti’s warblers are among those affected, many of which are in sharp decline in Britain.
The practice of trapping songbirds for human consumption was outlawed in Cyprus in 1974, but the practice continues on an industrial scale. Twenty years ago, more than 2 million birds were captured in this way each year, and more than 10 million were killed in the 1990s. Since then, Cypriot law enforcement authorities have been working with Birdlife Cyprus, taxi companies and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to reduce the number of birds killed.
Authorities discovered more than 4.5 kilometers of netting was used to capture the birds. Much of the growth came from the British military base in Cyprus – the Sovereign Base Area (SBA) – where the number of fishing nets increased by 41% on the previous year.
When the fall 2023 trapping season begins, the SBA Anti-Poaching Division’s resources are significantly reduced. “This season is an excellent case study in what happens when police resources are withdrawn/reallocated from illegal entrapment enforcement and deterrence operations,” the report said.
Mark Thomas, head of investigations at the RSPB, said organized trappers continued to make huge profits with little risk. “We cannot allow the progress we have made to be undone, nor allow the shocking levels of songbird killings to return to the abhorrent levels we once saw,” he said.
Thomas added police resources were needed to maintain low bird trapping levels. “For two decades, our international partnerships have shown that we can work together to tackle this criminal activity through direct action on the ground, supported by law enforcement operations,” he said. “However, this autumn has shown that more still needs to be done. jobs, especially in the Republic of Cyprus.”
Helica said BirdLife Cyprus has been conducting an awareness-raising campaign aimed at “achieving a change in the hearts and minds of local cultures, from diet to protecting and appreciating them” [birds]”.
“This is a larger challenge to overcome, but we are committed to continuing and believe that ultimately we will see positive behavioral changes that benefit bird conservation,” he added.
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