NICOSIA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- For years, the World Organisation for the Protection of Animals (OIE) has spared no effort to stop illegal bird hunting, but in august-October 2016 alone, more than 2.3 million birds of various kinds were buried in the eastern Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus, a new high in recent years.
Located in the northeastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus is a must for migratory birds migrating from Europe to Africa. It is the only land mass when flying over the eastern Mediterranean, so a large number of birds feed here every spring and autumn.
"It is these conditions that give illegal predators the opportunity. Every year, more than 2 million birds of various kinds are hunted and killed, of which the economic benefits are as high as 15 million euros," Sialis, coordinator of the Cyprus Bird Federation, told Xinhua on the 17th.
According to reports, from August to October 2016 alone, more than 2.3 million birds were killed during the southbound season of migratory birds, most of them black-capped warblers, sparrows and robins, and some large birds such as owls also died. According to the International Bird Federation, 25 million migratory birds are killed in the Mediterranean region each year.
The survey revealed that illegal predators laid a total of 21 kilometres of birdnets last year and erected thousands of sticky sticks. Although law enforcement confiscated some of these tools, the effect was not obvious. Some trapped birds in British bases made it difficult for law enforcement officers, while many more poached migratory birds in their own yards.
Sialis said that in the past, when food was scarce in Cyprus, the locals did have a tradition of eating birds. But now the illegal use of advanced equipment to kill birds on a large scale for huge profits obviously has nothing to do with traditional customs. Sialis called on local law enforcement agencies to step up enforcement efforts, starting with sales terminals such as restaurants, and raising penalties.