The illegal shooting of a rare,
beautiful and strictly protected Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) this autumn
highlighted the plight of Akhna dam, an important wetland that is currently
plagued by poachers and illegal bird trappers using shot-guns, mist nets and
limesticks.
BirdLife Cyprus is calling for
urgent anti-poaching action to change the Famagusta area wetland from a
poachers’ “playground” to the sanctuary for breeding waders and migrating birds
that it should be by law.
Bird watchers have reported an
unusually large number of ospreys passing through Akhna dam during September
and October, using it as a stopover on their migratory journey from northern
Europe, where they breed, to their African wintering grounds. However even this
magnificent bird species did not escape the attention of the poachers and one
was found shot dead this month.
Despite the protection status
the dam has, there is a serious problem with poaching and illegal bird trapping
in the area. The incident of the shot Osprey is not an isolated one but on the
contrary, poaching in the Akhna dam has become extensive, Birdlife said.
“Furthermore illegal bird trapping with non-selective methods such as mist nets
and limesticks has been widespread this autumn, both at Akhna Dam and more
widely, contributing to large scale killing of birds, many of them threatened.
This equates to an ecological disaster,” it added.
No comments:
Post a Comment