Cyprus: Military Bases

(asked on 6th October 2017) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to prevent the illegal trapping of migratory songbirds in sovereign base areas of Cyprus.


This question was answered on 16th October 2017

Illegal trapping of migratory songbirds is one of the Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) Administration's priorities. The SBA Administration prosecuted 78 people for bird trapping and poaching offences in the SBA last year and the SBA Police conducted 39 major mist netting clearance operations, resulting in the seizure of over 1,000 mist-nets and over 450 limesticks. This enforcement has impacted on bird trapping activity and this kind of intervention is continuing during this year's autumn migration. In addition to last year's successful use of motion activated cameras to catch trappers at Cape Pyla ranges, a SBA Police drone has been acquired and has provided enhanced capability to track and catch those carrying out this activity across the Eastern SBA.

The Administration has also begun a programme to remove irrigation piping, which is placed by trappers to promote the growth of invasive acacia bushes, which are used by birds for roosting. Since July 2017, soldiers in support of the civil administration successfully destroyed up to 5.8km of irrigation piping on the Cape Pyla ranges during night time operations. This has already resulted in a significant deterioration and withering of many acacia bushes, and they can no longer be used for bird trapping.

Reticulating Splines