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Conservationists fear turtle dove shoot through the back door
By Anna Hassapi

WHEN Cyprus allowed the spring shooting of turtle doves last year, the EU sent a dire warning on a decision that was in breach of the EU Bird Directive.

Despite the warning, President Demetris Christofias made a pre-election promise to allow the shooting of the threatened species this spring. And conservationists are now concerned that the government will allow the spring shooting of turtle doves in an unofficial, behind-the-scenes way.

“If the shooting of turtle doves is approved in any way, BirdLife will be taking up this serious issue at the highest level in Europe,” said Martin Hellicar, Director of BirdLife Cyprus.

This morning, the Scientific Committee will meet to discuss the conditions for the approval of hunting crows, the shooting of which is allowed for population control purposes. Concern has been voiced, however, over information indicating that the Committee will allow hunting in seaside areas, inhabited by turtle doves. This move, combined with suspicions that seaside areas will not be sufficiently patrolled by the Game Fund, will essentially give the green light to hunters to shoot turtle doves.
“We are absolutely clear that this is a move to allow the spring shooting of turtle doves,” said Hellicar.

Allowing the hunting of crows for population control is not uncommon. However, this year, the hunting of crows is being discussed at a different time of year than usual, and for different areas. In essence, the Committee will license shooting in springtime, when turtle doves will be in Cyprus after their long migration from Africa and in the seaside areas inhabited by these threatened birds.

Last year, the government allowed the spring shooting of turtle doves in coastal area on two days in early May. This caused an international outcry and the intervention of the EU. The EU Birds Directive forbids the shooting of wild birds in spring, when they migrate from Africa to breeding grounds in Europe, in order to ensure the birds get a chance to produce young and maintain their numbers.

The European Turtle Dove Streptopelia is a declining species across Europe.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2008

Anyone else any thoughts?

Bubbles x

[kafenes]

Conservationists fear turtle dove shoot through the back door

Shoot the doves through the back door??? You must be an ace shot to be able to do that!

[Jerry]

Bloody guns, I used to shoot years ago but I've grown up now, f....g kids playing cowboys and indians with deadly weapons. I was listening to BBC earlier today about American's love of guns, the reporter told a story about an American gun freak who wanted to make a small hole in a wall (for a cable I think). He didn't have a drill so he fired two shots into the wall with his rifle, the first shot made the hole, the second one went through the hole and killed his wife.

[Bill]

the reporter told a story about an American gun freak who wanted to make a small hole in a wall (for a cable I think). He didn't have a drill so he fired two shots into the wall with his rifle, the first shot made the hole, the second one went through the hole and killed his wife.

What a excellent and interesting "accidental" solution to the increasing problem of marital strife

Problem is the wife's in the UK and my gun is in Cyprus

Bill

[purdey]

Grow up some more Jerry. I shoot ,hunt, make guns , sell guns. They are a tool used by people. People are bad not guns.
On the plight of the Turtle doves, shame on shooting a dwindling bird, especially at breeding times..bad form

[Oracle]

Grow up some more Jerry. I shoot ,hunt, make guns , sell guns. They are a tool used by people. People are bad not guns.
On the plight of the Turtle doves, shame on shooting a dwindling bird, especially at breeding times..bad form

Yes purdey! ...... there are bad people from whom the good people have to be protected ... that's why there should be restrictions ... from the ease of access to poisons, to guns, to nuclear weapons, to smallpox virus etc .

[Jerry]

double post

[Jerry]

Grow up some more Jerry. I shoot ,hunt, make guns , sell guns. They are a tool used by people. People are bad not guns.
On the plight of the Turtle doves, shame on shooting a dwindling bird, especially at breeding times..bad form

Shooting for food is one thing, Cypriots used to do it to supplement their diet but now they do it for "sport". Sure they may eat what they shoot but they don't need to. I lived for 30 years near a sydicate shoot, silly bastards pay thousands to shoot a few almost tame pheasants, the game keeper used to shoot our cats and I lost count of how many times "dead" shot would land in the garden and scare my wife. I've found wounded birds after shoots and I've seen the end of a fox hunt so don't tell me to grow up Purdey. If you want to shoot for "sport" try skeet or clays.

The problem with guns is that bad people find them attractive.

Here's something about guns in the US.

If you have a gun in your home the risk of harm to your friends and family increases 45-fold. Far from protecting family members, guns in the home increase their risk of suicide five-fold and of homicide three-fold. Fifteen American children are killed by guns every day; children who accidentally shoot themselves or another child usually do so with a gun they have found in their home, or that of a family member or friend. As the Oregon Health Forum points out, the country faces `a firearm public health epidemic'.

Presumably the fifteen children killed each day in the US were bad or had bad parents!

[Nikitas]

Lay off the CRAP!!!!

The Sudanese spray the turtle doves with planes to kill them and prevent damage to crops. But they are not a member of the EU and they cannot be dragged into court or otherwise blackmailed by the neo fascists of the eco movement, so there is no news footage about the carnage in the Sudan.

Cyprus is a small and vulnerable nation and readily caves in to any pressure, especially threats to drag it into the EU court. Other nations, with balls, like Baltic states pressed and GOT a shooting season for game the EU crowd consider sacrosanct, like the brown bear and the wolf.

And what king sized schmuck says that turtle doves are a threatened species? Since when? If they are so threatened how come there are millions of them raiding Sudanese and Egyptian plantations?

As for the right to own a gun for self defence which exists in the States, it has no bearing on the issue here. Hunting can be carried out without guns, and much more productively. Let us not confuse the issue of the CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT of Americans to have guns with the right of ALL people to take food from nature, a right the Eco bastards would love to outlaw so we are all dependant on them and their fascist edicts. Fuck them!

[Nikitas]

As for those who want to license and otherwise control guns, here is a question:

When was the last time you hypocrites asked for a licensing system for chainsaw? Which would you prefer to be attacked with, a gun with two shots or a chainsaw that can keep going for hours?

A moot questions, so why dont you ask for licensing of chainsaws? Because you dont really give a damn, that is why.