Filenews 21 August 2022
The summer hunting season that will last until September 18 began on Sunday and according to the Game and Fauna Service, more than 19,000 hunters are expected to go out.
As the Service had announced, in the majority of the areas hunting will be allowed every Sunday from 21/8/2022 until 18/9/2022, as well as on Wednesdays 7/9 and 14/9/2022, while noting that all relevant information has already been published through the relevant decrees and hunting maps.
Regarding the hunting of turtle doves, this will be allowed again this year from 4/9/2022 until 18/9/2022, under specific terms and conditions, despite the recommendation of the European Commission for a complete ban on turtle dove hunting.
This was achieved after coordinated actions of the Service, but also due to the measures taken, during last year's hunting season, for continuous monitoring of the harvesting of turtle doves in the context of the restrictions imposed by the European Commission for the preservation of the turtle dove population.
Moreover, the Game Service says that the terms and conditions under which turtle dove hunting will be allowed in Cyprus are the same as those applied in last year's period.
Specifically, the harvesting of turtle doves will be allowed only during the period from 4/9/2022 until 18/9/2022, unless the harvesting limit set for the Republic of Cyprus, which is 15,756 turtle doves, is reached earlier, a number that has been calculated based on what is required by the European Commission (50% of the average harvest for the years 2013 – 2018).
He notes that the maximum harvest (hen) for a hunter, in a hunting excursion will be the three turtle doves, while the hunter, for each turtle dove he hunts, will have to record it in the artemis cy (smart phones application) (Android & IOS) which is provided free of charge. Registration is mandatory under the relevant legislation and omission of registration is punishable by an out-of-court fine of €100.
The limit of harvesting turtle doves per hunter for the entire period, which will be allowed to hunt turtle doves, will be 12 turtle doves.
Also, after a relevant permission by way of derogation granted by the Minister of Interior on the recommendation of the Service and if the opinion of the Scientific Committee was received, for hunting on a controlled basis and for a limited period, the predation of the palm tree dove (Streptopelia senegalensis - known to the general public as red turtle dove) will be allowed for the period from 21/8/2022 until 18/9/2022.
Due to the fact that the predation of the palm tree dove will be done by way of derogation, the recording of their harvesting will be mandatory, i.e. the harvesting of palm tree doves will be allowed only during the period from 21/8/2022 until 18/9/2022 unless earlier the harvesting limit that has been set at 15,000 is reached.
The maximum harvest (hen), for a hunter, in a hunting excursion will be 10 palm tree doves, while the hunter for each palm pigeon that hunts will have to record it in the artemis cy (android & IOS) smart phones application which is provided free of charge.
Registration is mandatory under the relevant legislation and omission of registration is punishable by an out-of-court fine of €100.
The limit of harvesting palm tree doves per hunter for the entire period, when the hunting of turtle doves will be allowed, will be 30 palm tree doves.
The Game Service invites those who will go out on Sunday 21/8/2022 to observe all the written and unwritten laws of hunting and to show the necessary respect to their colleagues and foreign properties, which will host them.
It is reminded that the renewal of hunting licenses continues throughout the 24-hour period.
CNA
