European activists protecting birds, violently attacked in Cyprus
European activists of the anti-poaching organisation Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), whilst conducting bird protection camps in the island of Cyprus in collaboration with the Pro Biodiversity Foundation (SPA), have been violently attacked. The incident happened in the night whilst cooperating with the local British police in reporting a trapping site in the UK-governed Sovereign Base Area (SBA) in Cyprus.
While visiting the reported trapping site with the SBA Police, a car approached and in the presence of the police, attacked and started hitting the car of the activists whilst they were inside. The activists tried to dodge the attack by driving away but the assaulter continued to smash his car into the activists vehicle repeatedly in an attempt to immobilize their car and assault them. The incident lasted for at least 10 minutes in a Hollywood-like chase, with the police patrol unable to stop the assault, but only escorting the activists until arriving safely in the local police station of the SBA Base of Agios Nikolaos.
What is more worrying is the fact that the car is registered under the name of a well-known criminal of the area, who amongst other types of illegal business, is also known for ‘earning his bread’ by trapping and marketing protected bird species, such as blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) for a dish illegally served in restaurants under the local name ‘ampelopoulia’; a business worth some 16 million euro per year in the island according to Cyprus Game and Fauna Services.
This trapper and his gang have been well known to both the SBA and Cyprus Police authorities for years now and have been repeatedly reported to the authorities by CABS anti-poaching volunteers. Despite trapping and selling songbirds daily, caught from several trapping sites located on UK sovereign soil and within the Republic of Cyprus, he has not been arrested yet. This has obviously encouraged him to become increasingly violent through the years, and even to be bold enough to attack volunteers from all over Europe right in front of police officers!
"This sense of immunity that the certain ‘mafia boss’ feels, reminds us of Hollywood movies of the 60s, and we would never expect this to be actually possible on UK soil in the 21st century", said Andrew Rose" retired officer of the British Army and now CABS activist. "The SBA cannot be a ‘Wild west’ for trapper gangs. We call the SBA Authorities to immediately take action and resolve this incident, which was definitely an assault against the life of the four activists. Fortunately, all volunteers are well and sound, mainly because of their ability to drive the badly damaged car to the police station despite the assaulter’s efforts to overrun them", Rose concluded.
2 February 2017
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