Pafos Live 2 September 2025
The Thematic Committee on the Environment of the Movement of Ecologists – Citizens' Cooperation welcomes the positive response of the Minister of the Interior to our request to exclude the protection areas of Nature and Birds from the decree that defines the training areas for hunting dogs.
It is recalled that after the well-known event of a portion of hunters, which resulted in the cutting off of the Nicosia-Limassol motorway (23 March 2025), it was published that the President of the Republic had referred to the Minister of the Interior their request for the expansion of the training areas for hunting dogs. In fact, for this purpose, a relevant meeting had been held between the Minister of the Interior and the protesting hunters.
After all this, as the Movement of Ecologists – Citizens' Cooperation, we addressed the Minister of the Interior Mr. Kostas Ioannou and the Minister of the Environment Mrs. Maria Panayiotou (letter attached) expressing our disagreement with the satisfaction of any request that affects the protection of Nature and violates the relevant European directives for the conservation of wild birds and the protection of European habitats.
In fact, our position was that the decree of the Game and Fauna Service concerning 13 protected areas of the Natura 2000 Network, including the areas of Lara and Toxeftra, in which dog training has been allowed, should be revoked.
In his reply letter, dated 05/08/25, to the President of the Movement of Ecologists – Citizens' Cooperation, Mr. Stavros Papadouris, Mr. Ioannou assures that the decree of the Game Service has been amended and the Natura areas have been removed from the map of areas for training hunting dogs.
At the same time, however, he informs us that his ministry is in consultation for the definition of areas for training hunting dogs. We hope that in this process there will be consultation with the environmental organizations and the competent services of the Ministry of the Environment (which has not yet responded to our steps).
Movement of Ecologists – Citizens' Cooperation
