About the foxes in Cyprus

                                         (Photo credit: Patrick Callaby)


There are two topics I would like to discuss this week. One of them being the shooting of a gorilla in a zoo and the second in the red fox(Vulpes vulpes) in Cyprus.  I choose to start with the fox since I've expressed my opinion on zoos and management a few times in this blog.  

Cyprus is a small island in between Egypt and Turkey. It's got a variety of habitats that are representative of it's location at the equator. From shrublands to wetlands to pine forests, Cyprus manages to cram a lot of biodiversity in such a small space.

The main topic if discussion environmentally wise is the fox. Over the last few years, Cyprus red foxes have seemingly increased in numbers. In fact so much that Cyprus Game and Fauna service have deemed that it should be "managed". In fact some people have already taken law in their own hands and have killed a few of them. Never the less,  the reasoning behind the control of fox populations is the fact that fox numbers have now surpassed rabbit numbers which according to Game and Fauna is indicative of an unhealthy ecosystem as the predator has surpassed it's prey's population. Well there are a few things wrong about that so let's get started.

First things first: Every basic predator-prey relationship demonstrates a fluctuation in population numbers. Prey numbers go up while predator numbers are low, predator numbers increase causing a decline in prey and the predator numbers drop due to a declining prey population. It's ecology 101. So fox numbers being high means that there will likely be a drop next year due to lack of prey.

Assuming of course that foxes feed on just rabbits which they don't. Predator-prey models are only valid in a closed system or for predators with a very specific diet. In the fox's case, it's not so. Foxes are omnivores which means they can sustain themselves on pretty much anything. So fox numbers might still increase despite prey numbers dropping. Of course foxes will switch prey if they can't find rabbits.

So if foxes can't be controlled by prey then what can they be controlled with? Well one answer is disease and parasites. Overpopulated areas are more likely to be vulnerable to contagious diseases and parasites which can result in population declines. Another answer is intraspecific competition. Although foxes aren't known for killing each other in territorial disputes, the stronger foxes will push out others into less suitable territory which will result in poor living conditions and possibly death.
What is more a habitat has what we call carrying capacity. Carrying capacity is defined by how much of each species can survive on a habitat's resources. So nature has a system in place to keep predators at bay. However that's not to say that foxes will never need management. All I am saying is that it's too early to decide.

What needs to be done at this point is simple:

1)Monitor the fox population yearly and seasonally: Find out how many pups are born, where foxes den, how many there are etc.

2)Study fox diet: Scat samples can show us much more on the diet composition of the fox.

3)Game and Fauna Service should release their study to the public. Last time I checked their methods were outdated and not accurate. An independent consultant should be employed to run independent monitoring to make sure the numbers match up.

4)Enforcement should be present: Foxes should only be managed by officials and not everyone else

5)Observe fox population for at least three year and then make the decision.

6)Management should be scientifically accurate. Decisions should be made using ecologists to ensure a sustaining population

7)Priority should be given to areas where foxes could cause conservation issues such as  endangered bird nesting grounds or agricultural areas.

8)Last but not least: Hire some new blood. New blood in the Forestry department and the Game and Fauna will ensure that the science remains up to date and that we don't rely on just a few aspect of ecology to determine management.

It's a trap

It's Autumn. A season which can be considered an important one in wildlife terms. Bird migrations occur, animals prepare or enter hibernation and for most animals this will be the season where they leave their parents' nest. Today I want to focus on a particular wildlife threatening "custom"that occurs in the Mediterranean and sadly enough is dominant in my home country Cyprus. Illegal bird trapping. In this article I will try and raise awareness of what problems this illegal trapping is causing and dispel some of the myths that people use to justify their trapping.

Blackcap or "Ambelopoullia"as they are called in Cyprus are a small bird that uses the Mediterranean as a migration route. They are considered a delicacy for the locals and a small plate of 12 birds can cost around 60-80 Euros to buy. They are trapped by the use of mist nets, which are laid across tree areas(much like nets used to catch birds for ringing) or the use of lime sticks. Lime sticks are sticks prepared with either industrial glue or an organic glue made from the gum that comes from a specific tree. The glue is laid on the sticks which are placed in between tree branches. The birds sit on the sticks are are stuck their, often suffering a slow, torturous death.

Many organizations are trying to stop the practice and the European Union has prohibited the practice from it's country members. Despite it's cruel nature of trapping the birds,it is not bird welfare that is the first thing that is troubling about this particular practise. Conservationists are against this method because it's non selective. The birds that are caught in the nets or on the limesticks are either killed by the poacher or die from stress. Due to the Mediterranean being a major migration route for a lot of different birds it means that all sorts of bird species are in danger of being caught in this poaching activity. Pictures from conservation and activist organizations show endangered birds meeting an unjustified death. This is one of the problems that people tend to neglect. Locals refuse to understand what non selective trapping can do. It is impossible to estimate the damage done to the endangered bird species or in fact all the bird species and because of its illegal nature it means that either all sorts of birds are sold as blackcaps(reports of robins and other small birds processed and eaten is all too common) or the corpses discarded, buried or feed to other animals. So data is hard to come by but BirdLifeCyprus estimates that about 2.5 million birds are killed every year in two trapping seasons. About 152 species are caught, 78 of those are considered endangered. And these numbers are concerning Cyprus. The practise occurs in Malta, Italy and Spain as well as other regions of the Mediterranean. So imagine the numbers adding up.

Another sad misconception is that the practise is legal. It is not. Although through lax laws and law enforcement in the past the practise was all but illegal, EU Directive2009/147/EC has prohibited such practise. It is a black market industry that has been estimated to an overall turn around profit of 15 million euros a year. Many of the big time poachers are either part of the organized crime or working for it. Thus the money are often used to fund organized crime activity. Small time poachers are usually the ones that make mistakes that allow to their capture while big time poachers often evade the law. Not only that but the fine is often around 600-800 euros which is nothing compared to the thousands of euros that can be made by trapping in one season. So although the fine might discourage some it will unlikely made a dent in those seasoned enough to comprehend the fact that the fine is nothing but a minor setback at best. A little known fact is the loss of approximately 40 million euros each year in the tourist industry. Countries such as Cyprus which are a major migratory route for birds, are often visited by keen bird watchers. These bird watchers are usually repulsed by the trapping and hence choose not to visit and in fact will also very likely spread the word, harming the country's tourist industry. Not only but even regular tourists are disgusted by the idea and hence either leave the country and never visit or refrain from visiting at certain times.

Overall non selective bird trapping can be combated. With local knowledge as well as an active anti-poaching task-force from the government the poachers may be arrested. However it is up to locals to stop supporting restaurants that serve blackcaps, report any activities and shun the so called “tradition”of eating blackcaps and in the end stop supporting the industry all together. Only then, when the trappers realise that no profit can be made will the illegal trapping actually stop and the bird migrations will occur undisturbed.