Illegal slaughter of migrants in Cyprus

Hello

Please take time to read the below introduction from local naturalist John Boland concerning the slaughter of migrant birds in Cyprus:-

'I've started the petition "Ministry of Defence: Stop the illegal bird trapping on MOD land in the UK sovereign Dhekelia base at Cape Pyla Cyprus" and need your help to get it off the ground.

If we send this email to all our contacts, hopefully we can convince the MOD to stop this activity on UK soil.

It will not remove the problem totally but will make a big difference to the migrating populations.  A lot of the birds are just pulled out of the nets to die.  The Blackcap is the most lucrative catch, six Blackcaps sell for €80 Euro in restaurants.

Will you take 30 seconds to sign it right now? Here's the link: http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/ministry-of-defence-stop-the-illegal-bird-trapping-on-mod-land-in-the-uk-sovereign-dhekelia-base-at-cape-pyla-cyprus?utm_source=guides&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_created

Here's why it's important:

This is illegal bird trapping on MOD land netting criminal gangs millions of pounds a year. It is estimated 500.000 birds were trapped last year and sold for £4 per bird. This level of trapping is unsustainable, all the trapped birds are migrants using Cyprus as a rest area on their migration route.

The MOD is allowing illegal activity on sovereign property for the benefit of mainly Russian mafia gangs.

The practice can be halted instantly by cutting down the rows of Acacia trees planted illegally on this site. This is an MOD site totally controlled by the Ministry of Defence who in my opinion should not stand by and ignore this practice.

We have until September to prevent this mass killing taking place again, as the European-bred birds, travel south for the winter.

Please sign up to stop it now 

You can sign my petition by clicking here.

If you Google maps and type in Cape Pyla Cyprus zoom in and you will see the rows of Acacia tress quite clearly.

Thank-you'

John Boland

P.S. If the link doesn't work direct from this blog, please cut and paste and enter in to your favoured search engine.