Public pressure to crack down on poachers seems to be having a significant impact on non-Famagusta parliamentary committee members who have voted in favor of any changes to wildlife protection and post-wildlife legislation. Presidential elections.
The issue was also raised in a closed-door session on Wednesday, where it was finally decided to continue the debate after reactions from MPs from the province where the illegal trapping of vines and sparrows of vines flourishes. After the discussion, it became clear that there are several ambiguities and different approaches to various provisions that were set through the draft laws of members of the Committee other than the Ecologists.
Wednesday's debate began with the position of the chairman of the Commission, Adamos Adamou, in relation to the investigation requested by the Parliamentary Service, MP Charalambos Theopemptou, on what applies to hunting in the rest of Europe. The investigation is ongoing.
Then the head of the Thera Service, Pantelis Hatzigeros, spoke, who referred to the proposal of MP Kyriakos Hatzigiannis in relation to the discounts that the offenders will receive if they pay the fine in the first 15 days after its imposition.
Mr. Hatzigeros set the conditions for the payment of a reduced extrajudicial fine by 5% to 25% depending on the degree of punishment that the offenders have. He even argued that any discounts should not apply to poachers who use spears.
For his part, Mr. Adamou asked the members of the Committee to exclude from the draft law the provision for the introduction of a new offense concerning a person who intentionally harasses, obstructs or obstructs a hunter in the exercise of his hunting activity. As mentioned, despite the fact that the proposal is clear to activists it can nevertheless be misunderstood.
Mr. Hatzigeros stated that he has no objections to the removal of this provision. However, MPs Kyriakos Hatzigianis and Linos Papagiannis disagreed. Mr. Adamou insisted pointing out that it is already misinterpreted. He added that this proposal will be removed from the remaining proposals and the MPs who want its incorporation to table an amendment when it is brought before the Plenary.
At the same time, Mr. Hatzigiannis asked the Thera Service whether an extrajudicial fine may be imposed on those who monitor hunters using drones. He also called for provision to be made so that no one but the authorities would substitute power to prevent hunters.
For his part, Mr. Hatzigeros said that activists have been reported removing the birds from the poles. He also said that activists were cutting farmers' water hoses after it was found that some poachers were passing through the hoses to connect the audio motorbikes to loudspeakers.
He also admitted that the activists had a negative impact on the Service and the way Thira works. He added that they destroy the affairs of the Service by the way they act.
In the end, it was decided that the parliamentary groups would study the issue and in due time it would be decided what would happen to the proposals that amend the law.
Sterilization program for cats and dogs
The Party for the Animals of Cyprus welcomes the launch of the government program of neutering cats and dogs and calls on all those involved to participate en masse in this effort. He reminds that the Government and specifically the Council of Ministers had taken a decision in August 2017 and approved the amount of € 75.000 for neutering stray and abandoned cats and dogs on a nationwide basis with the participation of municipalities, communities, NGOs, volunteers and organized groups.
"It is important that more than 75 private veterinarians from all over Cyprus have participated in the program", points out the Party for the Animals of Cyprus and calls once again for all municipalities and communities to respond, as well as volunteers and voluntary organizations for to participate en masse in this effort.
Source: Liberal