The sharp reaction of the United Cypriot Hunters Movement was provoked by the decision of the Ministry of Justice to dismantle the Poaching Unit of the Motorized Immediate Action Unit (MMAD). In a letter to the heads of state institutions, including the President of the Republic, the Movement expresses great disappointment and complains that the decision was taken following pressure from marked poachers.
The President of the United Cypriot Hunters Movement, Nikolas Prodromou, expressed the anger of the hunters for this development and referred to the taking of further measures for the return of Ulamos, which was a huge success.
According to the Movement's letter, the poachers themselves had been alarmed by Ulamos' recent successes "and this spread like wildfire through word of mouth in the world of hunting", which raises questions as to why the MMAD Ladder was closed.
As Mr. Prodromou underlined, the pretext of the authorities for the dissolution of Ulamos is the lack of personnel and the inaction, however the organized Hunters reject the two excuses. "They did not want them to work", complains Mr. Prodromou and calls on the Police to make public the cases investigated by Oulamos Pataxis Poaching.
The Movement of United Cypriot Hunters announces that it is able to bring down 2.000 people and stop the traffic at the Rizoelia roundabout, if the decision to stop the Ulamos Pathakis Patrathrias is not lifted.
The position of the Police:
A police source told Philenews that the decision was made after a thorough study was prepared, which showed that the main responsibility for the implementation of the poaching law lies with the Thera Fund, whose members are fully trained.
As he explained, the cessation of Ulamos Pathakis Patrathriaia was decided taking into account the in-service needs of the Police and the better management of human resources. "It was considered right that the role of the ladder was not needed", he underlined while for this purpose the Thera Fund was also informed.
The pause was followed by the appointment of the deputy commander of MMAD as a point of contact between the Thera Fund and the Police in order to continue the close cooperation. "Whenever necessary, the Police will provide assistance", as well as if the need arises to take the cases to court.
The competent source stated at the same time that the five people who staffed Ulamos Pataxis Pathrathrias will remain in MMAD.
Cyprus Bird Association: Organized trappers won
A representative of the Birdlife Cyprus Association stressed that the decision to disband the Poaching Stage is a very disappointing development, from which only poachers and organized trappers benefit.
Without denying that there are trained individuals in the Thera Fund, he explained that the MMAD Poaching Unit was one of the most deterrents to poaching and trapping, but has been weakened in recent years.
According to him, the Bird Association was pushing to strengthen this Ulamos and focus on organized trappers and restaurants, typically stating that "poaching is the first door to organized crime."
The letter of the United Cypriot Hunters Movement is as follows:
