Filenews 15 April 2022
To reinstate the deterrent penalties, without exceptions, for illegal bird trappings, calls on the government BirdLife Cyprus, stressing that the Commission will very likely launch an infringement procedure on this issue against Cyprus, as it has already warned in a letter.
In a press release, BirdLife Cyprus states that in a recent reply to the Commission on this issue, the Cypriot Government presents a very different picture from reality, and writes that Cyprus is "chewing them" on the European Commission for the reduction of fines.
The agency recalls that in December 2020, the overwhelming majority of the Plenum of the House passed "a disastrous" amendment to the law on the protection and management of wild birds. As a result, it is added to the press release, the extrajudicial fine for the offence of illegal killing (with a shotgun or lime) of up to 50 birds from a list that includes 14 protected non-huntable species was reduced from €2000 to just €200.
"These species happen to be the main target of trappers and poachers over time, known as ampelopoulia," it says. "This is a development that amounts to a serious relaxation of the law, and is a big setback in the efforts to protect and conserve birds in Cyprus," he says.
It is also mentioned that in October 2021, the European Commissioner for the Environment sent a letter to the Cypriot Government pointing out, "very aptly", that such low fines are neither deterrent nor punitive. "At the same time, the Commissioner points out, among other things, that the practical application of the law as it was formulated is questionable, due to the difficulty of recognizing these 14 items" and asks the Cypriot Government to abolish the extrajudicial fine of €200, so that the penalties amount to €2000 for all items, he added.
BirdLife Cyprus cites "some of the most problematic points" of the government's recent response to the Commission on this issue, as presented in response to a question by MP Alexandra Attalidou.
In the reference in the letter that the philosophy of this Legislation does not favour illegal trapping, but on the contrary becomes even stricter on the issues of illegal trapping and predation of protected birds, the organization says that it is surprising "how can it be claimed that a legislation with reduced, non-deterrent fines for the illegal killing of protected species with a lime gun and / or shotgun", can be put forward", that is not conducive to this.
BirdLife Cyprus also expresses its disagreement with the data cited by the Ministry that illegal trapping has decreased significantly in recent years due to the deterrent extrajudicials imposed since July 2017. It states that the recordings from its own systematic monitoring programme do not support such a reduction, but since 2018 there has been an increase in trapping levels within the Republic of Cyprus.
The Ministry also reports, according to the organization, that since the day of the implementation of the legislation in question, 138 cases have been reported involving the possession and/or use of traps, i.e. an average of 28 cases per year, almost double the average for the years 2015 and 2016 where out-of-court fines did not apply (15 cases per year).
Commenting, BirdLife Cyprus wonders, if the new legislation does not favour illegal trapping, then how can we explain the increase in cases of possession and / or use of traps from the day of its implementation and how it is possible to talk about reducing the levels of trapping since the cases have increased.
The organization concludes that in its letter the Cyprus Government "fails to justify the reduction of the fine for the illegal killing of specific species" and calls on the Government to reinstate the deterrent and effective penalties - without exceptions - through a new amendment of the law.
CNA
