Cyprus Mail 16 August 2019 - article by Lizzy Ioannidou
Over 17,000 hunters are expected to head out on Sunday to mark the first day of the new hunting season, the game service announced on Friday.
The service asked hunters to behave appropriately, show respect to fellow hunters and to the property of others.
It warned that hunters should make sure they have a valid license. Licenses can be renewed at banks and online. If a hunter is found without a valid license they can be fined up to €2,000 plus the renewal fee (€77) for every year the license has been expired.
The game service listed several safety guidelines to be followed by all hunters. They are advised to avoid prolonged exposure the sun, to wear light clothing, to protect their eyes by wearing a hat and sunglasses, to drink plenty of water, and to avoid alcohol consumption.
Hunters were also asked to make sure they plan ahead, and to avoid hunting alone, while another person should always know the exact spot where they will be hunting.
The game service warned that the lighting of fires in non-designated areas is strictly prohibited, especially in view of the high risk of fire with current scorching temperatures.
Finally, the service asked that hunters report any illegality they see at the areas they choose to hunt.
Spring hunting is prohibited by the EU Birds Directive (2009/147/EC) and Cyprus legislation, as it poses a threat to the migration of birds to their breeding grounds. Generally, hunting of migratory birds is from mid-August until end-October and hunting of resident game species from November until December, while hunting of Song Thrushes is permitted until end of February.
Usually hunting is allowed on Sundays and Wednesdays, but there are some areas where it is permitted daily for a longer period of time, usually in coastal areas. Hunting is prohibited in certain areas, which can be either permanent or temporary game reserves.
More than 17,000 hunters are expected to head out on Sunday — the first day of the new hunting season — with the Game Service appealing to all of them to show respect to each other and to other people’s property.
Renewal of hunting licences is continuing at banks and on line.
The Game Service appealed to all hunters to abide by the following rules:
- Avoid extensive exposure to the sun
- To dress lightly
- To wear a hat and sunglasses
- To drink plenty of liquids (water and fruit juice)
- Avoid the consumption of alcohol
- To plan their route from before and to give themselves adequate time to get to the area where they plan to hunt and to return to their car
- To avoid hunting alone and to ensure someone always knows where they will be hunting
- To have a plan as to what to do in the event of an emergency
The Game Service said that the lighting of fires in non-designated areas is strictly prohibited and poses and very high fire risk because of scorching temperatures.
Hunters are urged to familiarise themselves with the hunting areas and to immediately report any illegality to police on telephone 1414 or to the Game Service as follows: Nicosia 99445697, Limassol 99445728, Larnaca/Famagusta 99634325 and Paphos 99445679.
Under the law, out of court fines for hunters caught hunting without a renewed licence are €2,000 plus the hunting licence fees for all the years in which it has not been renewed.
Additional phone nos to report hunters in close proximity to residential areas:
99 445291, or 99 445728, or the Police on 26 306211
