Anti-hunting activists respond to ELAM allegations

The activist group committee against bird slaughter (CABS) on Tuesday appealed to MPs to strengthen environmental efforts and protect wildlife, saying lawmakers should not be “misled” by deceptions designed to disrupt the cooperation between NGOs, the police and state authorities. “Ahead of Wednesday’s meeting of the House environment committee, conservationists are urging Cypriot MPs to reject political manoeuvres aimed at crippling anti-poaching operations and instead bolster the vital partnership between civil society and law enforcement,” the group said. The statement follows a comment by ELAM MP and House environment committee chairman Linos Papayiannis on Monday, in which he said that he would refuse to invite the anti-hunting activists to the upcoming committee debate, describing their conduct as having gone “beyond the limits of what is tolerable and permissible.” CABS emphasised that its volunteers operated strictly within the legal framework of the Republic to monitor and enforce the EU birds directive in the Republic, denying Papayiannis claims that the group would forego order, as well as the police and the game and fauna service and violated the law. Papayiannis on Monday accused the group of reporting hunters with valid licences despite hunting legally, and claimed activists had in some cases stood in front of armed hunters to obstruct them. Confirming the organisation would not appear before the committee, he said, “I am neither going to invite them nor do I recognise them”. CABS, on its part, argued that giving in to the pressures of ELAM and hunting associations would “severely damage” the Republic’s international standing and reverse significant progress achieved in combatting wildlife crime. Welcoming the parliamentary session on the matter as an opportunity to showcase “the indispensable contributions of conservation groups”, the organisation said it firmly rejected ELAM’s attempts to restrict field operations. “Joint operations between game wardens, police, and NGOs have been the backbone of successful anti-poaching efforts in Cyprus for years,” said CABS president Karl-Heinz Kreutzer. According to the group, its reports have contributed to the conviction of 55 bird poachers, as well as the confiscation of 1,621 lime sticks used for the trapping of birds, 139 mist nets, 89 electronic bird callers and the freeing of 1,286 live birds entangled in nets or glued to lime sticks during last autumn’s hunting season. “The demand to limit this successful cooperation is a transparent trap designed to blindside law enforcement and clear the fields for wildlife offenders,” Kreutzer said. CABS called for the MPs to use the upcoming meeting to “formalise and scale up institutional support” for anti-poaching operations and support closer institutional ties between NGOs and local authorities. “Instead of weakening enforcement, parliament must boost up enforcement and actively support closer institutional ties between NGOs and the police to safeguard our shared natural heritage,” Kreutzer said. The agenda tabled by Elam before the House environment committee, that being the debate regarding “environmental activists and the phenomena surrounding them”, has been backed by both Diko and Disy. Meanwhile Akel MP Marina Nikolaou said Elam had first attempted to table the issue using stronger language accusing activists of “uncontrolled activities,” which was withdrawn after Akel objected before returning the motion under a different title. She argued the committee should focus its attention on poaching rather than on those exposing it. Diko spokesman Panikos Leonidou defended the committee’s right to hold the discussion, saying “not all these organisations are the same”. The Animal Party has called a protest outside parliament on Wednesday, while Alma said the item’s wording appeared to prejudge the outcome of the debate before it had begun.