Hunters took to the countryside in Paphos at first light on Sunday for the first summer wood pigeon hunt of the year, marking the start of the hunting season.
Despite a strong turnout, hunters reported relatively little game and raised concerns over the declining number of areas available for hunting.
Hunter Andreas Krotalias described the situation as becoming “increasingly difficult each year”, saying there were too many hunters competing for limited game in an increasingly restricted area.
He said prohibited hunting zones and areas where birds remain year-round had further reduced the amount of land available, calling the general situation “tragic”.
Krotalias also questioned whether this year’s summer hunting season should have gone ahead given the prevailing environmental and weather conditions.
He called on the relevant authorities to take greater account of overall environmental conditions when managing hunting areas and issuing permits, while ensuring sufficient areas remain available for hunters.
Another hunter, Andreas Papagapiou, said he had managed to shoot one wood pigeon but agreed that game had been scarce.
Despite the disappointing haul, he said the attraction of hunting was as much about the experience itself as the number of birds shot.
Papagapiou attributed the limited game partly to the large number of areas where hunting is prohibited and suggested that wood pigeon hunting be permitted more widely.
He argued that areas already open for hare and partridge hunting could also be opened for wood pigeon hunting.
“The birds need peace and quiet for you to be able to hunt them, not a crowd of people,” he said.
Evros Michaelides, who travelled from Larnaca to hunt in Paphos, also described Sunday’s haul as meager and called on the game and fauna service to make additional areas available.
“We want new areas,” he said.
The Cyprus hunting and wildlife conservation federation stressed that hunting of turtle doves and quail will not be permitted during the first two outings of the summer season, on Sunday and then on August 30.
Hunters were also reminded that recording their catch through the Artemis Cy mobile application is mandatory for all game and during all hunting seasons.
For turtle doves, quail and wood pigeons in particular, each bird hunted must be recorded separately and immediately.
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