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| Navigation | Welcome to the Conservation pages of Birdlife Cyprus | |
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Webmaster: Chris Lamsdell |  |
'Promoting sustainable, wildlife-friendly agriculture' The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has led to widespread agricultural intensification in the 15 "old" EU member states. This has had a well-documented and disastrous effect on farmland birds leading to an overall decline in farmland bird populations by 30% with some species declining by as much as 75%. The main cause of these declines are the loss of hedgerows and other remnants of natural vegetation within farmland and the increased use of insecticides. The net result has been a loss of nesting, roosting and feeding sites for birds.The presence of predominantly low-intensity agriculture in Cyprus makes it an attractive place for birds. We would like to ensure that the implementation of the CAP does not lead to widespread agricultural intensification and is indeed beneficial for birds. Low-intensity agriculture is also a benefit to Cypriot farmers as it is more sustainable (for example, preserving insect-eating birds provides farmers with a cost-free, ever-vigilant, living pest-control patrol!). BirdLife Cyprus promotes a set of practical solutions that would ensure local farming practices are kept wildlife-friendly. |
