JULY 18TH, 2016
The British bases announced on
Monday they would continue to clear an area rife with illegal bird trapping of
the acacia bushes planted by trappers to attract the birds.
“This week the bases will chop
down more acacia bushes at Cape Pyla ahead of the anticipated illegal bird
trapping season,” said a news release from British Forces Cyprus.
“The acacia has been planted by
bird trappers and encouraged to grow by illegally watering the areas. Recent
aerial photography of the area has revealed that trappers have moved back into
areas which have previously been cut back and replanted acacia and introduced
new irrigation, this will now be removed.”
Two aerial photographs provided
by the bases reveal how trappers cut corridors in the acacia bushes to set
their mist nets which trap thousands of protected Black Caps and other
migratory birds.
“As well as protecting birds this
action will preserve the environment,” explained Dr Philip Rushbrook, the bases
administration’s chief officer.
“Cape Pyla is one on the many
Special Area of Conservation within the Bases; as such we have a legal
requirement to remove acacia from these areas just as the Cyprus Forestry
Department are doing at Cape Greco and the Oroklini Lake.”
The bases administration said
that as recently as last week they made offers to local community leaders to
agree a programme to remove the acacia. These included paying the local
communities to undertake the work themselves but as those offers fell on deaf
ears the bases took it upon themselves to remove the acacia.
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