Man fined €13,500 after 17 wild birds found trapped in Larnaca

Larnaca, Cyprus. Police issued a 36-year-old man with a €13,500 extrajudicial notice on Sunday after anti-poaching officers found 17 wild birds trapped in nets at a fenced field in the Larnaca district. The birds were found alive and released into the wild.

Operation and evidence

The birds were discovered during an operation on Tuesday in an area where hunting is prohibited.

Police said officers found the birds trapped in nets inside the fenced field. Five trapping nets and a device used to imitate bird calls were also recovered.

The device is used by poachers to attract songbirds towards nets, where they become trapped.

Investigation

Subsequent checks found that the 36-year-old man managed the site where the equipment was located.

Kofinou police investigated the case with assistance from the game and fauna service.

Illegal bird trapping

Bird trapping is linked to the illegal capture of songbirds for food, particularly for ambelopoulia, a delicacy traditionally made from small songbirds.