A dozen illegally trapped ambelopoulia can reportedly sell for between €80 and €150 on the black market in Cyprus, according to the Game and Fauna Service.
Speaking on the Mesimeri kai Kati programme, the Service’s spokesperson, Petros Anagiotos, said the price depends on how much buyers are willing to pay for the protected wild birds.
He cautioned, however, that the figures are difficult to verify because the trade takes place illegally.
“It depends on how much someone is willing to pay to eat something that could also negatively affect their health,” Anagiotos said.
“More than €80, up to €150, has been mentioned. It is a black market, so no one can state these amounts with certainty.”
Illegal trapping has become less common
Anagiotos said that around 30 years ago, large numbers of people in certain areas were involved in trapping wild birds.
In recent years, however, the practice has become much less frequent and is now reported mainly in more remote areas.
He added that those involved in trapping birds for illegal profit are now “countable on the fingers of one hand”.
Anagiotos also said that people involved in the illegal activity have been reported following checks carried out by the Game and Fauna Service in recent years.
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