‘You will pay’ – British bases’ police warn bird trappers

The Sovereign Base Area (SBA) police’s anti-bird trapping team has issued a warning to trappers as the migration season of the black caps – also known as ‘ambelopoulia’ and still illegally served in restaurants and taverns around Cyprus  – approaches this month.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the SBA’s Community Action Team (CAT) said it has been trying to identify potential trapping sites and disrupting infrastructure set up by poachers.

With the season imminent, the team, made up of ten officers, has found numerous sites prepared for trapping birds using mist nets and lime sticks.

CAT’s head, inspector Fanos Christodoulou, said that, despite a near 100 per cent reduction in bird trapping within the SBAs in recent years, his team is now better resourced and more prepared than ever.

“We have assembled an experienced team supported by dedicated officers,” Christodoulou said. “We have been locating and disrupting sites within the SBAs that were being prepared by trappers. Other areas are under surveillance, and we will be ready to arrest any trappers entering the area.”

The statement also stressed the fact that CAT is working closely with communities, distributing information leaflets to local leaders and hunting groups, who have supported police efforts over the years.

Christodoulou highlighted recent successes in prosecuting offenders with heavy fines and seizures. In June, two men were fined €1,350 each for bird trapping. Recently, three vehicles valued at over €35,000 were seized as they were believed to be used for trapping.

“We are committed to punishing those caught bird trapping,” Christodoulou said. “Issuing heavy fines sends a strong message that this crime will not be tolerated. Seizing vehicles disrupts trappers both in their operations and personal lives.”

This year, the team will also be supported by environmental NGOs BirdLife Cyprus and the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), as well as by the Cyprus police, and, if needed, the National Guard.

“We will have up to ten military personnel assisting us on military land, and we will work closely with BirdLife Cyprus and CABS,” Christodoulou explained. “We will continue to develop our technology, using drones, hidden cameras, and other modern detection methods. This is a serious crime, and we will tackle it with all available resources.

“We have already caused some disruption to poachers and will continue to do so. If you engage in illegal trapping, we are ready, and you will be punished to the full extent of the law.”