ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME IN LAKE SOROS

 Filenews 2 October 2020 -  by Angelos Nikolaou

The ongoing environmental crime of poaching protected birds has no end. In recent days hundreds of dead birds have been found in the hunting area of Lake Soros in Meneou, near the residential area and the Tower of Rigaina. The slaughter of protected birds was committed by poachers. After the initial discovery of two dead swallows and 72 dead beekeepers, as well as two injured beekeepers, by the BirdLife Association of Cyprus on Saturday 26 September, the teams of the Committee Against the Slaughter of Birds (CABS) continued to monitor the area over the last three days, and witnessed poachers once again shooting any species of bird flying in front of their weapons.

So far, there have been another 100 dead bee-eaters, half a dozen swallows, a rare craga, a sloppy, a kitsis and a night crow. The total number of beekeepers killed is much higher than those discovered, as it is common for poachers to collect the birds once they are killed.

"Up to 50 hunters gather in the area every day, mainly at the weekend," says Bostjan Debersek, CABS's head of research, "and they do not deny at all that they kill bee-eaters and other protected species. Even more so, they seem entitled to break the law. Although we collected video and other evidence of these crimes, the police station in Kitty refused to further investigate our complaint, or to attend the area."

CABS notes that this is not the first time police have not fulfilled their legal duties for similar allegations of illegal hunting. In the fall of 2019, dozens of poachers were seen using illegal electronic motorbikes to hunt for trasiels, and when they realized they were being monitored by CABS volunteers, they began threatening activists with death threats. Police were called to the area, but instead of collecting evidence of illegal hunting and threats, they shouted at the activists, demanding that they delete all evidence.

"It is clear that this attitude does not honour either Cypriot or European law and reflects the common sense of some authorities, that no one should disrupt hunting, whether it is legal or not," adds Alex Heyd, director of CABS. "If hunters so fearlessly break the law, it is obvious that no one has ever applied the law. This is the complete failure of the supposed successes of the amendments to the Hunting Act made in July 2017," he points out.

CABS observes that so far during the autumn of 2020, illegal hunting is completely out of control in Famagusta and Larnaca. A total of 70 cases of illegal hunting were confirmed by the organisation's volunteers. Although, he notes, we are grateful for the quick response from the Hunting and Wildlife Service to the reported cases, only 4 cases resulted in prosecution and fines. CABS therefore calls on the government to take immediate action by suspending the hunting season in this area which is far less than 500 metres from residential areas and less than 300 metres from the lake. The agency also calls for the establishment of a permanent police presence in the area for adequate monitoring and to ensure proper implementation of the law.