Around 1.7 million birds were illegally killed across the Republic of Cyprus in 2016 according to a new report by the RSPB and Birdlife Cyprus. More than 800,000 of these were killed on British military territory. Within the territory is a spot where nearly half of migratory bird species from Europe, Africa and the Middle East are thought to stop to rest - Cape Pyla.
The songbirds are sold on the black market to be pickled, roasted or fried and eaten in secret as a local delicacy, earning criminal gangs huge sums. The songbird dish is called "ambelopoulia" and almost all of the restaurants serving it are found in Cyprus. A meal of 12 birds can cost up to £60.
The poachers use "mist nets" strung between invasive acacia bushes and MP3 players to play fake birdsong hidden in the branches to lure the birds into the near-invisible nets. One net can trap 400 birds. Getting rid of the bushes would make it very difficult to set effective traps.
The British base is the number one bird killing hotspot on the whole island of Cyprus. Many much loved garden bird species are being trapped and killed for huge profit by criminal gangs. The trappers' brazen prevention of the removal of their criminal infrastructure from MoD land could never be tolerated here in the UK.
