A dead flamingo was found on Monday night, inside the protected area in Lake Paralimni, as stated in a statement by the Federation of Environmental Organizations of Cyprus. OPOK demands a ban on hunting in the area, the termination of the shooting range and a ban on the use and disposal of lead from shrapnel, in and near the only natural wetland in the Province of Famagusta.
The area of Lake Paralimni is protected and belongs to the Natura 2000 Network Special Conservation Zone (SAD) and Special Protection Zone (SPA).
Following the x-rays performed by a private veterinarian, the flamingo died apparently due to the consumption of a large amount of lead from shrapnel, which were found in the stomach and most likely led to its poisoning, the announcement added. At the same time, lead shrapnel was found on the body of the dead flamingo, due to a shot that he seems to have received, but without injuring vital organs. OPOK announced that the dead flamingo was handed over to the Hunting and Fauna Service, as the competent authority for the protection and management of wild birds, which is expected to carry out official analyzes and examinations to determine the final cause of Flamingo's killing.
According to the Management Plan of the Lake Paralimni SPA, of the Game and Fauna Service (2016), 71% of the area is a prohibited hunting area. In the rest of the regions hunting is allowed only in November and December. The same states that: “the exercise of hunting activity and the human presence cause disturbance to the species, which find shelter in the SPA area. At the same time, this activity favors and allows the entry of hunters with their vehicles into the Lake basin, something that has as a result the degradation of the habitats and the disturbance of the species ".
Within the boundaries of the area, part of the shooting range of the Shooting Organization of the Province of Famagusta falls, while its firing range is directed towards the basin of the Lake, with the result that the bullets end up inside the SPA. "Embankments have been created inside the firing range to prevent the bullets from spreading, but this measure does not seem to be fully effective." The announcement states that the same pressures and threats are recognized in the "Management Plan EZD Lake Paralimni", which was published by the Department of Environment (2011).
The "Management Plan of SPA Lake Paralimni" proposes the "stricter control of the implementation of the ban on the use of cartridges with lead shrapnel in the SPA area" and the "review of the operation of the shooting range".
For this reason, it is proposed, in the first phase, to cover the shooting range of the shooting range with a special film, which will hold the lead bullets, in order to avoid further soil pollution. After finding a suitable space in an area outside the SPA, to which the shooting range will be transferred, the operation of the shooting range within the SPA area will be terminated and the existing shooting range will be restored with emphasis on the existing firing range ".
It is noted that flamingos are included in the bird species that are also protected by the 2015 Decree on the Protection and Management of Nature and Wildlife (Priority Measures for the Special Conservation Zone of Paralimni Lake).
"The urgent need for an immediate end to hunting, the operation of a shooting range, as well as the use and disposal of lead from shrapnel in and near Lake Paralimni also arises from the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2021/57 of the European Commission, regarding lead in shards in or near wetlands, which was voted by the European Parliament and published in the Official Journal of the European Union, on 26.01.2021 ", notes OPOK.
Also based on the Decree of the Minister of Interior, which was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic, on 25.05.2007, pursuant to Article 58 (2) of the Law on Protection and Management of Wild Birds and Prey of 2003 to 2006 (ADP 483/2007) , hunting and the use of cartridges with lead pellets within a radius of 300 meters from the boundaries of wetlands and dams are prohibited.
Based on the above, OPOK requests the immediate issuance of the necessary Decrees of Protection and Management of the area of the Natura 2000 Network EZD and SPA Lake Paralimni, based on article 15 of the Law on Protection and Management of Nature and Wildlife of 2003 to 2015 , as well as Article 7 (6) of the Law on the Protection and Management of Wild Birds and Prey of 2003 to 2020. lead from shrapnel, in and near the only natural wetland in the province of Famagusta ".
The Republic of Cyprus is already facing an ongoing infringement procedure, in the framework of which the European Commission has sent a warning letter to the Cypriot Authorities, on 09.06.2021, due to the non-issuance of the necessary Decrees for the Protection and Management of Natura 2000 sites, OPOK. It adds that, in the context of a previous infringement procedure, the Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled against the Republic of Cyprus, due to the non-inclusion of Lake Paralimni in the Natura 2000 Network within the set deadline and the inadequate protection regime ).
Source: KYPE