SBA/196
14 June 2002
David Conlin
(david.conlin@proactnow.org)
Dear Mr Conlin,
BIRD NETTING IN THE SOVEREIGN BASE AREAS
1. Thank you for your e-mail of 14 May to the SBAA e-mail accounts. I have been asked to reply.
2. The SBA Police have seized over 1,000 mist-nets, 450 limesticks and 11,000 metres of wires and cables in the ESBA since August 2001. The peak month for seizures in this period was January 2002, when 339 nets and 162 limesticks were taken by police carrying out daily patrols. Mist-netting activity in that month was unusually intense, as poachers attempted to take advantage of the large numbers of thrushes forced to the Island by severe weather in Europe. 27 trappers have been arrested by the SPA Police since August 2001. The SBA Courts routinely impose fines of several hundred pounds on convicted mist-netters.
3. Seizures of nets in recent weeks have, however, been low, despite intensive patrolling. It is believed that this reflects the successful deterrent effects of the autumn and winter campaigns, although trapping activity in the spring is always much lower than in the autumn.
4. It is difficult to produce accurate statistics to quantify the level of mist-netting activity taking place in the SBAs. The Administration believes, however, that the local poachers are being deterred by SBA Police enforcement activity. Informal contacts with several NGOs and local ornithologists have suggested that they also believe that poaching activity in the SBAs is much reduced.
5. In terms of the SBAA e-mail accounts both, the SBAA and SBAA-Birds account, are checked regularly. I hope this of help.
Yours sincerely,
J Hamer
