Satellite transmitters to monitor and study the Cyprus barn owl, as well as artificial nests will be deployed all over the island, an announcement from the agriculture ministry said on Thursday.

According to the announcement, the transmitters and the nests were acquired as part of a strategy included in the national agricultural plan to keep rodent populations in Cyprus under control.

The plan has been fully implemented over the past two years with a budget of €75,000 per year. Additionally, the ministry said that more transmitters will be placed mainly on young birds in the upcoming months.

The nests will help map the owl population and will also serve as an educational tool for the rural communities on the island.

One of the ministry’s goals, in fact, is to spread awareness regarding the importance in reducing chemical substance usage to control pests.

Birdhouses, in fact, have already been installed by communities, hunting associations, environmental groups, and individuals all over the island, in collaboration with the relevant authorities.

Several of them were donated by the forestry department, after opening applications in the framework of the rural development programme.