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repulsewarrior
Ministerial
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 2152
Location: a cypriot in canada
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Cyprus yet to sign up to bat protection
By Anna Hassapi
BAT POPULATIONS in Europe are on the decline but there is no way of telling by how much in Cyprus because there is no monitoring in place, a conference on bats highlighted yesterday.
“The problem in Cyprus is that we have no records of the numbers of bats as there is no monitoring like in other countries,” said Patricia Radnor, Director of Animal Responsibility Cyprus (ARC).
“In Cyprus there is just one person employed by the Forestry Department responsible for monitoring bat populations throughout the island. In addition, bats in Cyprus are not physically protected,” Radnor added.
Radnor is one of the experts and scientists from 39 countries who are participating in the 14th UNEP/EUROBATS Advisory Committee Meeting taking place at Governors Beach Thalassa Conference Centre this week.
The conference, which started on Monday and will finish today, was organised following the initiative of the ARC and it will address a number of issues on bat conservation.
“Our aim is for the conference to bring positive results but also action and awareness on bats in Cyprus. The authorities will now have sufficient knowledge to compile a correct management and monitoring program,” said Patricia Radnor, Director of ARC.
Cyprus is the only EU member to have the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus), a mammal that is in great need of protection as its numbers have dramatically decreased because they are perceived as pests by farmers. Until now, however, Cyprus has failed to sign the EUROBATS Agreement.
“It is very important and we would like to see Cyprus signing the EUROBATS Agreement,” said Radnor.
“Yesterday a representative of the Environment Service said they may be signing the agreement next year. It is not a strict agreement and signing it would just mean that Cyprus would have to submit a report every two years and get involved in the working committees. Thus, it would encourage more participation and learning on the subject.”
The general aim of the conference is to record the actions of member-countries on bat conservation and to develop positions on issues.
Wind power was one of the issues discussed. Radnor said the adverse effects of wind power turbines were discussed, as they are more severe for bats than for birds. “Although bats have eco-direction, they are threatened by wind turbines because their lungs explode when near a wind turbine, in the same way that a diver’s lungs explode from the sudden change of pressure when they come up too fast,” Radnor said.
Conference participants confirmed that bat populations across the world were decreasing, mainly due to human influence. “Habitat destruction and the chemicals used in agriculture are the main threats to bats,” commented Peter Lina, the committee’s President.
Tomorrow another bat-related event will be taking place, this time in Nicosia, where two of the most renowned bat experts; Dr Paul Racey and Anthony Hutson, will give presentations. The case of Cyprus will be discussed in depth, with presentations by the ARC and a guest speaker from Israel who will discuss that country’s similar experiences on the problems farmers face with fruit bats and how these can be overcome.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009 |
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repulsewarrior
Ministerial
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 2152
Location: a cypriot in canada
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Rehabilitating the humble bat
By Zoe Christodoulides
BATTY fun in the Limassol village of Paramytha is set to attract plenty of animal lovers this coming Friday as a special ‘Bat Night’ takes place.
Organised at a local level by the Environmental Services, the Forestry Department and Animal Responsibility Cyprus (ARC), the event is part of a European-wide occasion taking place in more than 30 countries throughout Europe.
First organised in the early 1990s in Poland and France, European Bat Nights have become popular annual events that draw public awareness to the menaced bat populations in Europe. Focusing on bat conservation, they aim to pass on information about these mammals, the way they live, and their survival needs.
“The main point is to get people involved; to make them interested in preserving wildlife heritage,” says Patricia Radnor, one of the organisers of the local event and Director of ARC. “There seems to be a strong misconception about bats here - they are seen as a nuisance and not many understand their good qualities.”
Cyprus is in fact the only EU member to have the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus), a mammal that is in great need of protection as its numbers have decrease markedly. There have been a number of incidents where people have illegally shot fruit bats on the island, in the majority of cases because they are perceived as pests by farmers.
“People aren’t aware that one of the small insect-eating (microchiropteran) bats can actually eat thousands of mosquitoes each evening,” explains Radnor. “Contrary to popular belief they are not blind and the idea that bats can get stuck in your hair is a total fallacy - their echolocation is so finely tuned they can even detect a spider’s web.”
Since 1997, the European Bat Night has been organised under the auspices of the Agreement on the Conservation of Populations of European Bats (Eurobats). Traditionally held on the last weekend of August, the definitive date is left up to the individual organisers.
Now taking place at a local level for the third year running, Friday’s event will include a presentation by a representative of the Forestry Department, answering any questions the general public may have. All the action will be centred within the new Community Centre of the village.
A team of Czech scientists who are also experienced chiropterologists will demonstrate state of the art equipment, showing sonograms of the bats as they fly overhead while they identify the species in view. Bat detectors will also be provided to allow people to listen to their clicks.
Children are encouraged to take part in the event and they’ll receive a free bat story book upon attendance. The island is home to 22 species of bats, and visitors are likely to spot two or three of the various species on Friday.
“The event has been very popular the last few times it was held, and we’re hoping for a similar response this year,” says Radnor. “It’s something different, exciting and fun.”
The bat night will be taking place this Friday, August 7 at 7.30pm in the new Village Community Centre in Paramytha outside Limassol. For more information visit www.animalscyprus.org or call 99-499580
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009 |
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