The Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) has urged parliament not to adopt measures that could weaken anti-poaching operations, ahead of a meeting of the House Environment Committee on Wednesday.
The organisation criticised ELAM, which requested a discussion on the "impact of the actions of environmental organisations", arguing that any attempt to limit cooperation between non-governmental organisations, the police and the Game and Fauna Service would undermine efforts to combat the illegal trapping and killing of wild birds.
‘Resist political efforts against anti-poaching’
In a statement issued ahead of the committee meeting, CABS called on lawmakers to resist what it described as political efforts aimed at weakening anti-poaching activities and instead strengthen cooperation between civil society and the authorities.
The organisation said the discussion had been prompted by ELAM's request to examine the activities of environmental groups. CABS warned MPs not to be misled by initiatives which, it said, seek to disrupt the successful collaboration between NGOs, Cyprus Police and the Game and Fauna Service.
‘ELAM seeks to restrict operations’
CABS said it welcomed the committee meeting as an opportunity to highlight the contribution of environmental organisations but strongly opposed what it described as ELAM's efforts to restrict field operations.
"For years, coordinated operations between game wardens, the police and NGOs have been the backbone of successful anti-poaching efforts in Cyprus," CABS President Karl-Heinz Kreutzer said. "The demand to restrict this successful cooperation is a clear trap, designed to catch the authorities off guard and leave the field open to those who commit wildlife crimes."
Cooperation with civil society yields results
According to CABS, its field monitoring work remains one of the key contributors to the enforcement of wildlife protection laws in Cyprus.
The organisation said that during the previous autumn season alone, reports submitted by CABS directly led to the conviction of 55 poachers and the seizure of 1,621 limesticks, 139 mist nets and 89 electronic bird-calling devices. It said 1,286 live birds trapped in nets or caught on limesticks were released.
In recent weeks, jointly coordinated operations led to six poachers being caught in the act, resulting in the immediate seizure of firearms and illegal trapping equipment, the organisation said.
CABS called on parliament to use the forthcoming committee meeting to strengthen institutional support for coordinated anti-poaching operations, ensuring that authorities have access to the field intelligence needed to protect Cyprus' natural heritage.
"Instead of weakening law enforcement, parliament should strengthen controls and actively support closer institutional cooperation between NGOs and the police in order to protect the natural heritage we share," Kreutzer added.
The organisation said its international and Cypriot volunteers operate strictly within the law and serve as essential "eyes and ears" in implementing the EU Birds Directive in Cyprus.
According to CABS, yielding to pressure from ELAM and hunting organisations would damage Cyprus' international reputation and reverse years of progress in combatting wildlife crime.
