More Than a Million Birds Killed in Cyprus - Group

PlanetArk 10 Jun 08;

NICOSIA - More than a million birds, most of them migratory, were killed in Cyprus in the past year and served up as local culinary delicacies, conservationists said on Monday.

Songbirds are a popular dish on the east Mediterranean island, which lies on a key migratory route. Although trapping and consumption is banned, they are still served up in some restaurants, say wildlife campaigners.

"Unless decisive action is taken the future will be bleak for Europe's migrant birds," said Martin Hellicar, executive director of the BirdLife charity in Cyprus.

Hellicar said surveys by the organisation suggested more than 1.1 million birds had been killed from March 2007 to February 2008. Indiscriminate trapping methods meant many threatened migratory birds and resident birds were killed, he said.

"In terms of Europe, Cyprus are probably the worst trapping offenders," Hellicar told Reuters.

Blackcaps, robins and song thrushes are the main targets, caught in thickets of vegetation in fine mist nets or on sticks dipped in sticky lime. Birds are lured to coastal areas by birdsong recordings. There are also suggestions that boats are also being used for trappings at sea.

One tiny bird, served picked, fried or grilled, goes for five euros each in some taverns, BirdLife said.

(Reporting by Michele Kambas, editing by Paul Casciato)

Million migrating birds killed as Cyprus delicacy: NGO
Yahoo News 9 Jun 08;

More than one million migratory birds were illegally trapped and killed over the past year to feed an illicit Cypriot taste for such delicacies, an conservationist group said on Monday.

According to a field survey by Birdlife Cyprus carried out between March 2007 and February 2008, an estimated 1.1 million birds were indiscriminately killed with the use of mist nets and limesticks.

These methods are used to catch black caps and song thrushes, much sought after delicacies on Cyprus that fetch five euros (more than seven dollars) a bird at restaurants, making the illegal trade a lucrative one.

"Cyprus is most probably the worst in Europe for killing migratory birds. They are in the premier league for offenders," Birdlife director Martin Helicar told AFP.

"If there isn't the political will to clamp down on the restaurants, then Cyprus will return to the bad old days of the 1990s when up to 10 million birds were killed," he added.

A huge crackdown on trappers and restaurants was enforced before Cyprus joined the European Union in May 2004 but now conservationists say the government lacks the political will to eradicate the trade.

"MPs have already tabled a bill before parliament that would decriminalise such activity and greatly reduce the fines," said Hellicar.

He said MPs were proposing to amend existing legislation which provides for a maximum three-year jail term and or 17,000-euro fine to be replaced with on-the-spot penalties of up to 200 euros for nets and 100 euros for sticks.

"Unless the law is properly enforced millions of migratory birds are at risk," he said.