The submission of the Bill regarding the changes in the hunting may have been postponed today, but they are expected to come up and down in relation to the hunting of the vine birds. In fact, significant changes are being prepared both in terms of how those who violate the law are punished and in terms of the way the game is consumed in general.
Now, the police and the Hunting Service will have to have a way of proving and biologically verifying whether the species consumed is prohibited or not since in the restaurants can be served hunting which will be provided by the customers themselves.
The question is: How will the competent authority perceive whether hunting is prohibited or not?
At the same time, the Bird Association is sounding the alarm bell, since according to data, 155 species of birds are trapped in Cyprus with nets and axes set up to hunt vine birds.
El. Famagusta: The worst in the Mediterranean in killing birds
The recent research "The killing birdlife" includes Cyprus in countries where there is high poaching of protected species while the area of Free Famagusta is considered the worst in the Mediterranean in terms of bird killing.
The numbers speak for themselves: 2,3 million birds are killed illegally in our country under the watchful eye of the authorities.
Our country, in fact, ranks fifth in Europe in terms of illegal hunting of protected birds.
The other countries are:
Egypt: 5,7 cm.
Italy: 5,6 million birds are killed each year
Syria: 3,9 million
Lebanon: 2,6 cm.
Greece: 700 thousand
Libya: 500 thousand
Croatia: 500 thousand
France: 500 thousand
Albania: 300 thousand
Specifically, the research states that the Province of Famagusta is considered the worst in the Mediterranean in terms of the estimated number of birds killed.
Illegal predators take advantage of the fact that many species of migratory birds have Cyprus as a stopover for their migration but also the fact that they are concentrated in specific areas. Something that helps the residents to chase them and trade them from these sites.
At the same time, the research states that although the law has been in force since 1974, the illegal sound production systems that attract birds and the trapping methods destroy hundreds of birds each year which end up in the dishes of consumers.
What will change:
The relevant amending legislation that will be submitted to the Parliament greatly changes the way of punishment but also the imposition of punishment of those who violate the legislation regarding the hunting of vine birds.
Specifically, since 1974, the legislation prohibiting the hunting of vine birds has been in force in Cyprus, while in parallel with our entry into the European Union, the European Directive was strengthened, which strengthens the ban on the hunting of this particular bird.
The offenders, in case they are caught hunting vines then they are automatically referred to trial with the fine reaching - currently 17 thousand euros and the prison sentence of three years.
The amending legislation will apply:
Permitted consumption of game in restaurants from the moment the game is brought from home by the customer without being provided by the restaurant.
The extrajudicial procedure will now be applied, according to which the hunting officials will be able to pay a fine of 2,500 thousand euros, which the illegal hunter will be able to pay at the same time and without being referred to court.
The view of the Bird Association
The Bird Association seems to be strongly opposed to these regulations, as the out-of-court procedure will not only not be deterrent but will also endanger the safety of game predators. At the same time, the existing penalties, although dissuasive, are never applied and much lower penalties are imposed on offenders.
In relation to the issue of the permitted consumption of prey in restaurants, the Bird Association reacts considering that it opens the way for other illegalities as there will be no way to control who hunted it or how.
The xoverga
Regarding the xoverga, the Association also disagrees with the amending legislation which will not allow their transfer and use, but at the same time the penalty for up to 72 xoverga will be only 200 euros. In case the predator has in his possession more swordfish then the out-of-court procedure will be followed.
Permitted hunting
The Bird Association answers negatively as to whether a specific period of hunting of the vultures could be defined - in relation to all the ways of hunting - since according to what is mentioned, the vultures are not considered a prey species in the whole of Europe.
At the same time, in a written statement, Tassos Sialis, Coordinator of the Avian Campaigns states:
"Ptinologikos considers this amending law catastrophic, since it introduces a series of relaxations and in case of its vote, it is expected to seriously aggravate the problem of illegal trapping and poaching in Cyprus. We call on the Members of the House of Representatives to vote against the amendment. "
The positions of the Cyprus Bird Association:
This amending Law introduces a series of relaxations in the existing legal framework without achieving the updating and modernization of the basic Law on Protection and Management of Birds (152 (I) / 2003). As a result of these relaxations, serious problems are expected to arise in the sustainable management of prey, the conservation of wild birds and the better fight against poaching and illegal bird trapping in Cyprus, at a time when poaching and illegal trapping are on the rise on our island. while the Republic of Cyprus is already under investigation by the EU. on the issue.
One of the worrying modifications proposed is the out-of-court settlement of all offenses. Instead of bringing the offenders to court and issuing a court sentence - as is currently the case - the prosecuting authorities will issue extrajudicial in the field for any illegality. Given the circumstances under which extrajudicial killings will be issued, there is concern that gamekeepers will dare to put more than 2000 euros in extrajudicial scope. The relevant joint letter of the two trade unions of gamekeepers (PEO and SEK) is clear, which they submitted to the Parliament on 20/10/2016, where they expressed their concern for the specific amendment, stating, among other things, "the amendment will affect the processing of their work and above all their safety ".
In addition, if the amendment is over-voted next Friday by the Plenary, it will be virtually impossible to effectively control the illegal supply of prey to wild birds in restaurants. Specifically, the proposal suggests the consumption of prey by hunters which they have pre-cooked and brought to the restaurant for own consumption. This will be very difficult to control and we believe will exacerbate the problem of illegal supply and marketing of vines and other game species. The illegal supply of wild birds to restaurants is already under the microscope of the European Commission, which has repeatedly called on the Republic of Cyprus to take effective action to combat it.
An equally worrying proposal for amendment is the separate regulation of xovergers as an illegal means. Specifically, there is a suggestion for differentiation of the out-of-court penalties for the offense of possession and use of up to 72 rods, with the proposed fine being only 200 euros. Through this regulation, an indirect message is given to decriminalize the criminals and to relax the punishments that govern this crime.
We believe that these proposals are relaxations and clear violations of the European Birds Directive (2009/147 / EC), with the visible risk of our country being referred by the Commission to the European Court of Justice for non-compliance with the provisions of this Directive and enforcement fines.
It is worth noting that France has recently been referred to the European Court of Justice for its failure to comply with the provisions of the Birds Directive, while the Commission has repeatedly called on the Cypriot Government to take effective action, as set out in the Directive, to end illegal , non-selective and mass trapping of wild birds in Cyprus. ”
Theopemptou: "Gaps in the legislation"
The MP of the Movement of Environmentalists, Charalambos Theopemptou, states that he opposes the amendments to the existing legislation, since many gaps are being created.
According to Mr. Theopemptou, the amending bill will not resolve but will create further issues since hunting with dummies will be allowed, with mimetic sounds (without the use of devices) with whistles, something that is still prohibited since it allows the widespread killing of prey.
At the same time, Mr. Theopemptou wonders how the above modifications are in line with the fact that the fees for hunters who use hunting dogs are increased in order to reduce the prey, while on the other hand the use of methods to attract more birds will be allowed. At the same time in Europe, there are significant restrictions on the number of hunters but also on the number of game allowed.
Regarding the issue of restaurants, Mr. Theopemptou stated that from the beginning the health services raised the issue of controlling the quality of meat from prey since no health control will be carried out. Instead, everyone will be able to market their prey uncontrollably. In other countries where the purchase of prey by hunters is permitted, there are certified hunters who control both the way the prey is hunted, stored and transported in order to ensure the health of the food.
At the same time, these modifications pave the way for poaching as the authorities will not be able to control whether hunting is legal or prohibited. That is, there will be no way for the authorities to check whether the bird consumed is legal prey or one of the prohibited (vultures).
To determine this, the authorities must transport the prey for DNA testing to determine the type of prey.
Regarding the legal aspect of the issue, the Legal Service has warned in writing that the changes through the amending bill will create serious issues with the EU. since the European Directive is still more stringent.
Source: SotiraNews / Offsite