Bee-eater in nets. BirdLife Cyprus
Disastrously, the number of birds killed on limesticks and in mist nets in Cyprus this autumn is increasing sharply, reaching over 860,000 by October 9th…and it is still growing. The rising death toll from this illegal and ecologically damaging activity is being tracked by BirdLife Cyprus’s field team and published on the BirdLife Cyprus website, in a bid to raise awareness about this growing problem. An on-line petition calls for immediate action from the responsible Cypriot Ministers.
The toll is estimated on the basis of field data from BirdLife’s ongoing field monitoring of trapping activity with mist nets and limesticks, part of a systematic surveillance programme. This latest estimate – 866,905 birds- represents the number of birds killed between Thursday 1st September and Sunday 9th October 2011. The trappers are after Blackcaps and other songbirds, which will end up as illegal, and expensive, ambelopoulia delicacies served up in law-breaking restaurants, allowing the trappers to make huge profits. The first estimate for the autumn 2011 season, posted on September 12th, was for almost 90,000 birds, but trapping has gained pace since then. The estimate will be updated every Monday until the end of October.
So far- and many thanks to all the people who have supported our campaign so far – almost 10,000 people have signed.
“The trapping is out of control this autumn – we are witnessing a slaughter on a massive scale. The non-selective nature of nets and limesticks means that not just blackcaps and other warblers, but also nightjars, owls, shrikes, flycatchers and dozens of other species are being taken. Please help us put pressure on the authorities to re-double enforcement efforts and target the law-breaking restaurants serving ambelopoulia”, said Martin Hellicar, Campaigns Manager of BirdLife Cyprus.
If you have not already signed the petition please do and please spread the word.
To see the initial article on this please click here or visit www.birdlifecyprus.org.
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June 9th, 2013 at 3:26 pm
We need to take a call on this mindless slaughtering of birds. The ecosystem will collapse one day and it will be too late!
April 9th, 2013 at 12:27 pm
SORRY, NO MODERATION. 866,000 BIRDS SLAUGTHERED SING OTHER SONGS.
VON BRONSART
February 13th, 2013 at 11:10 am
i cant say it often enough dont go there its the tourists who keep these places going we need to be more discerning to save the wildlife
October 5th, 2012 at 12:30 am
Many of these birds are born in Ireland & are murdered going through your island. The EU should take action. No other European country would consider it acceptable.
October 6th, 2012 at 3:34 pm
Except the barbarian Malta!
July 28th, 2012 at 3:21 am
Stop this nomadic butchering.
July 26th, 2012 at 5:17 pm
Oh” it pains me deeply inside to think what they (sadistic savages) are doing to our beautiful bird; birds that keep us uplifted in this time of travail. Please stop it. Surely, the EU directive can be enforced.
Dermot
July 5th, 2012 at 2:39 am
Bird Lovers please share this news in your social networks (Facebook/other portals). This will help to address this issue to a wider audience and hope this will intern lead to some action.
June 26th, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Cyprus is the Godess of Love’s birthplace.
Aphrodite was born in the sea foam’s of a cypriot beach according to greek myths.
Birds deserve love, not slaughter.
May 14th, 2012 at 6:09 am
i think humans r getting worse than animals, fr their ownself..
save animals n birds n their environment wit out them v r jus machines…!!
January 7th, 2012 at 3:01 pm
stop this nonsense.birds make this world beautiful
December 1st, 2011 at 5:02 pm
c’est véritablement une honte, c’est juste pour le plaisir de tuer alors que ces oiseaux nous donnent tant de joie au quotidien. Honte également pour ne pas faire appliquer la législation. Il faut que cela cesse immédiatement en effet ne serait-ce que pour le courage dont font preuves ces petits êtres vivants
chantal
November 30th, 2011 at 6:08 am
Just horrific! How can there still be such people in the world. All olive oil products from such countries are banned from use in our house.
November 24th, 2011 at 12:31 am
Just when you think that man is progressing, then you hear something like this. Man is the only animal that shits in his own nest, and in this case, he is shitting in everyone elses. Makes me want to throw up.
November 21st, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Stop the madness!
November 21st, 2011 at 12:40 pm
Shocked and angry. Shame on you Cypiotes!Urgent actions needed to stop this madness.
November 21st, 2011 at 10:59 am
It is paramount to STOP IT today not tomorrow
November 5th, 2011 at 12:44 am
Stop it please!!!
November 4th, 2011 at 2:56 pm
Sureley if they are part of the European union the should be forced to abide by european laws.
November 11th, 2011 at 7:57 pm
STOP IT, PLEASE
November 2nd, 2011 at 11:37 pm
The people in the Shetlands, know that their island is an important place for small birds to rest on their long and amazing migrations.Shame on you, Cyprus!
October 31st, 2011 at 12:20 am
We have srong laws tp protect birds in Switzerland and Europe. And then on the way to ther winterplaces ignoring people catch and kill birds for 33,4,5 gramms of meat. How stuped! They could earn much more money ba showing this wonderful creatures to the poeple and share the happyness of birdwatching.
Boycot cyprian oliveoil, bur also italian, egyptian, tunesian… and so on…
Show them an other way of live!
October 30th, 2011 at 3:42 am
I am appalled– this is totally mad. Cannot believe the greed and indifference on the part of those individuals involved in this atrocious treatment of nature’s wonders. Please STOP!
October 27th, 2011 at 7:56 pm
What a bloody catastrophy, but what can you expect from the Cypriots??
October 25th, 2011 at 10:25 am
Assassins de la Nature, méfiez-vous que Dame Nature ne se retourne contre vous !…
October 22nd, 2011 at 4:49 pm
What gives you the right?! Insanity breeds in Cyprus.
October 21st, 2011 at 12:36 am
Ignorant people decimating the bird population because of a “cultural culinary tradition” is disgusting and should be stopped by whatever means. Birds are taking a terrible beating at the hands of humans all over the planet. What a pathetic species are we…
October 20th, 2011 at 4:56 pm
Stop this senseless killing of our beautiful birds
October 20th, 2011 at 3:33 am
It’s a shame that people are still killing these beautiful creatures for fun. Please stop killing the birds!!!
October 19th, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Stop! Stop! Stop it now!
October 19th, 2011 at 6:20 am
HOW EVIL DID MAN BECOME?
October 19th, 2011 at 6:19 am
How low can people go. What is wrong on this planet. The big wrong is PEOPLE who became evil!!!!
October 18th, 2011 at 6:39 pm
I’m vegan because of the right of living for all creatures great and small.
So stop killing animals and enjoy their being.
October 17th, 2011 at 6:15 pm
Die waanzinnige aanslag op de natuur moet stoppen !!!De Europeese Unie moet daar zéér dtringend werk van maken.
Stop this birdkilling !!!
October 17th, 2011 at 5:56 pm
Honteux CE MASSACRE ! C’est vrai ça ne donne pas envie d’aller à Chypre
October 17th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
Honte aux chypriotes qui ne respectent pas la nature . Arrêtez le massacre.
STOP
October 17th, 2011 at 11:16 am
Please STOP ! STOP! STOP!
October 17th, 2011 at 10:24 am
i thought Cyprus was in the EU and not a 3th world country?
October 17th, 2011 at 9:25 am
stop this cruelty now
October 15th, 2011 at 8:36 pm
Disaster!! STOP IT PLEASE!!!
October 15th, 2011 at 6:43 pm
It is time to stop this killing of our birds.Unbelieveble in this time.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:21 pm
i am just totally shattered by theses pictures theses beautiful birds being slaughtered for one reason because they have always done it . what are theses people going slaughter next when all the birds are gone .shame on cyprus shame on there government . dont buy anything from them dont go there on holiday
October 15th, 2011 at 9:35 am
What is the EU commission doing about this. They enforce rules like Health & Safety and Working Time Directive laws but do not actively enforce the laws they have passed about killing of migrating birds.
Having studied Golden Orioles etc I know how Malta, Cyprus and others in the EU flout rules so I ask that the EU get thier act together.
Mind you Egypt is as bad if not worse especially for Orioles and Turtle Doves.
October 15th, 2011 at 9:20 am
I and my family Ban all products from cyprus if not respect our birds. Ecological disaster
October 15th, 2011 at 7:54 am
Establishments like restaurants and hotels where birds are served as
gourmet dishes should be penalized, and tourists should protest! IN FINLAND IT IS ILLEGAL TO ALLOW CATS ROAM FREE IN THE CITY STREETS BECAUSE THEY MIGHT CATCH WILD BIRDS, as no-one else bothers the birds!
October 14th, 2011 at 9:48 pm
chypre = country of most birds destruction for free with ignorance and so bad thing!!
go eat the ass as your mother …. and go dead to hell for eternity …
October 14th, 2011 at 7:03 pm
PLEASE STOP THIS!!
October 14th, 2011 at 3:50 pm
scandaleux! protéger d’un côté et voir le massacre de l’autre est révoltant. Il faut que ça cesse!
October 14th, 2011 at 3:30 pm
inadmissible nowadays !
what savages !!
October 14th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
Disaster! What else to say! STOP IT !!!
October 14th, 2011 at 11:25 am
Stop this meaningless killing
October 14th, 2011 at 9:29 am
October 14th 2011.
The Cyprus Government should be ashamed of themselves to allow this to happen. Some of the ministers should be forced to go and watch what is happening.
Tony Roberts
October 14th, 2011 at 9:00 am
I Say ban Cyprus and Malta, Finland (Eider killing), Norway and Japan (Whale hunting) and other country’s who kill animals for ‘fun’ from any Holidaying agenda.
Disgusted with these Countries,
Carlo Wijnen, Holland
October 15th, 2011 at 2:46 am
How sad that we humans continually stoop to raping the planet and the other creatures that inhabit it. We have the potential to be better citizens than this. WE ALL MUST START LIVING UP TO OUR POTENTIAL!! NOW!!!!
October 14th, 2011 at 8:52 am
What is wrong with people and all this cruelty! Leave the birds alone and stop this immediately!
October 14th, 2011 at 8:16 am
SALVAJE , CRUEL , INTILERABLE . NO VISITEN CHIPRE
October 14th, 2011 at 7:33 am
It is a disaster to know this. Please ask the people why are they doing this….if they can give life to just one of the dead birds than they can kill as many. If they do not have the means to give life to bird than they do not have right to kill the birds. Live and let live…..disturbing nature balance will have disastrous consequences and we all know this……be human and be kind to life forms.
October 14th, 2011 at 7:01 am
Stop this. Tell your friends that they should never go Cyprus on vacation.
October 14th, 2011 at 5:13 am
Surely, the European Union can do something about this shocking situation?
October 14th, 2011 at 2:05 am
Millions of wild, often endangered, birds slaughtered annually in cruel, barbaric ways to be sold to restaurants that serve them illegally yet openly, and people pay lots of money to eat them, preferably whole as they have not been degutted (how repulsive is that!) It all beggars belief.
Shame on the bird trappers; shame on the restaurants that serve ambelopoulia; shame on the people who pay to eat ambelopoulia; shame on the Government of Cyprus for not putting a stop to it, and lastly,shame on humanity.
October 14th, 2011 at 12:16 am
Unbelievable that the Cyprus are still allowing this to happen. We protect Birds in Northern Europe to allow Cyprus to kill them.
October 13th, 2011 at 10:06 pm
Does anyone know why the situation is deteriorating? I thought things were getting better. Clearly action needs to be taken quickly.
October 13th, 2011 at 9:52 pm
Pls try to stop this killing NOW !
October 13th, 2011 at 8:36 pm
Sans animaux l’homme cessera …. Final solution !!!
October 13th, 2011 at 8:33 pm
On s’enfout des animaux …. pourvu que l’homme vive … mais sans animaux l’homme cessera !!! Final solution ??
October 13th, 2011 at 8:15 pm
Stop this senseless slaughter. I will tell many people about it.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:17 pm
Everyone should boycott Cyprus until they stop this barbaric practice.
October 13th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
No words or comment on such brutality.
Don’t go to that Middle Ages island.
October 13th, 2011 at 7:53 pm
I used to go there – never again until this stops!
October 13th, 2011 at 3:25 pm
Disaster!! STOP IT PLEASE!!!
October 13th, 2011 at 2:51 pm
Unbelievable for a so called “developped” country that’s part of the European union. Stop this ecological disaster please!!!!!
October 13th, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Please stop this madness! (Yesterday, please!)
October 13th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
This is just too mad! When does is it stop? Why can’t we live in harmony with nature?
October 13th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
What a disaster… long live human stupidity !
October 13th, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Please STOP this horrible slaughter of OUR birds
Please keep them safe while they migrate through Cyprus
October 13th, 2011 at 1:54 pm
Disaster! What else to say! STOP IT PLEASE!!!