Martin Hellicar - 'humble, passionate and brilliant'
ALL who knew him have been saddened by the death, aged 56, of birder and campaigner Martin Hellicar.
The former journalist was the director of Bird Life Cyprus and had spent 20 years trying to persuade islanders that it was better to conserve birds than to kill them for sport or as a delicacy for the dinner plate.
Despite enjoying legal protection, birds such as blackcaps, stonechats, thrushes and garden warblers have long been been trapped and killed in their hundreds of thousands by means of mistnets and/or limesticks
The second of six children, Martin was born in Durham to parents who had moved to Cyprus to work as English teachers.
Before joining Bird Life, he studied ecology, first at Lancaster University then at York University before returning to Cyprus where he became chief reporter for the Cyprus Mail.
He was unmarried and had no children but is said to have been devoted to his nephews and nieces.
In a tribute, the chief executive of birdlife International, Martin Harper, said: "Martin was a humble but passionate and brilliant leader.
"He was generous with his time, knowledge and humour, and he will be sorely missed by everyone that knew him.
"Tackling the nature and climate emergency feels tougher without him, but he has nurtured so many great conservationists who will continue his work.
"I am confident that they will realise his ambition to move beyond nature protection to nature restoration."
Martin's death follows a car accident in which he sustained serious injuries.
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