Eight men were handed fines of up to 2500 Euros and four months suspended sentence, after being convicted of illegal bird trapping within the British Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs). These sentences are among the highest handed down by a local court for illegal trapping, a serious wildlife crime, and BirdLife Cyprus welcomes the deterrent nature of the court sentences.

After repeated postponements, the highly controversial hunting law amendment is expected to go to Plenary on Friday 30 June. This amendment proposal introduces a series of relaxations and loopholes relating to hunting but also illegal bird trapping, which is a serious and persistent problem in Cyprus. BirdLife Cyprus, the Cyprus Conservation Foundation Terra Cypria, Friends of the Earth Cyprus, the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) and the Foundation Pro Biodiversity (SPA) are calling again on the Members of Parliament to vote against this amendment, prepared by the Game & Fauna Service and modified by MPs. 

With illegal bird trapping in Cyprus on a dramatic rise in the past decade one might wonder whether the persistent and chronic problem of bird trapping on our island will ever stop. A recent visit to Italy however, gave us hope and encouragement in our fight against this problem. 

The Griffon Vulture is the largest bird of prey in Cyprus and also the most threatened. The population is at a worryingly low level and breeding pairs scarce. In early June, three active vulture nests were found, one in Pafos district in an area where a significant colony of the species used to exist in the past. The nest belongs to birds which were brought from Crete through the GYPAS project. The other two nests were located at Episkopi Cliffs, which is where the largest colony of the species is found in what is the most stable breeding site of the species in recent years.

Nesting during this season in the scrub and cliffs of Cape Greco are two very important bird species: the Cyprus Wheatear and Cyprus Warbler. Birdwatchers from all over the world visit our island to enjoy them, since they breed only in Cyprus. Although this important area is protected as part of the Natura 2000 network, these days it has turned into a rally track, with nests and vulnerable young birds only meters away from the rally routes.

Today nature won over pesticides…but by default. By not reaching the required majority to approve the blocking resolution by AGRI Committee members Mr. Dess (EPP, DE) and Mr. Agnew (EFDD, UK), the European Parliament automatically supported the European Commission’s delegated act that proposes to ban the use of pesticides in Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs). EFAs are areas where farmers are paid to leave important space for nature in an intensively farmed landscape.

The future of wild birds in Cyprus and the prevention of a penalty from the European Union are now at the hands of the Plenary of the Cyprus Parliament, which is meeting on Friday, 9 June 2017. More specifically, ‘The Protection and Management of Wild Birds and Game Species (Amendment) Law of 2016' has been submitted for voting. Environmental NGOs are calling on the Plenary to vote against this specific law amendment which was prepared and submitted by the Game and Fauna Service.

On Friday 12 May 2017, BirdLife Cyprus volunteers and staff, together with the Game and Fauna Service, carried out the annual spring census of the Griffon Vulture. The team of 20 observers covered eight look-out points spread across the vulture feeding range and known breeding and roosting cliffs, while the Game and Fauna Service set up cameras at the vulture feeding stations.