With the songbird (ambelopoulia) migration season coming to an end this month, British Bases police said in a press statement that anti-bird trapping operations are continuing at pace.
Specialist officers from the Community Action Team (CAT) have been working alongside key non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to detect and deter any would-be trappers operating inside the bases.
According to a Bases press statement, between August 1 and October 17, there have been eight recorded cases of the illegal use of mist nets and three for poaching quails using bird imitating devices.
The Bases note that this proactive approach to combating bird trapping has led to a more than 98 per cent drop in the crime since 2016.
Dhekelia’s Chief Inspector, George Louis, said the police’s commitment to tackling bird crime and the joined-up approach with its NGO partners – the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) and BirdLife Cyprus – means his team can stay one step ahead of trappers.
He noted that the Bases police “respond proactively to any identified bird trapping cases, whether from our partners in BirdLife Cyprus and CABS, or from our own Intelligence Unit.”
He added that further support is available from 60 police officers in the eastern bases, who patrol 24/7, as well as additional military support where required.
British Bases Administrator, Major General Tom Bewick, also met with BirdLife Cyprus and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in Akrotiri last week to reinforce his commitment to the cause and to reassure partners that the momentum would not be lost.