Cyprus is not the only EU member state where vast numbers of songbirds are cruelly trapped to make ‘traditional’ food.
Glue-covered twigs placed in thickets, known as parany traps (which are illegal), are believed to catch up to four million migrating birds each year in Spain.
Thrushes, lured by bird song recordings, are favoured trapped species, being among the millions of songbirds which are served up in tapas bars.
Claims have been made that though thrushes are the prime target, two fifths of the birds caught are from other species, including Black Redstarts, Robins and even owls.
Mario Giménez, head of SEO/BirdLife in the eastern region of Valencia, stated that very few parany operators carry out the laborious and time-intensive task of rescuing non-target birds and releasing them: “Even those cleaned up with dissolvent often don’t survive.”
Hunters caught setting parany traps can be fined up to €200,000 (£170,000), and could end up with a criminal record, bu the cruel ‘tradition’ persists.
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