The Office of the Commissioner for the Environment and Animal Welfare calls on the Game and Fauna Service to immediately proceed with the revocation of the Decree concerning the 13 protected areas of the Natura 2000 Network regarding the training of hunting dogs.
“As the Office of the Commissioner for the Environment and Animal Welfare, we are deeply concerned by the fact that, based on a Decree published on March 7, 2025 in the Official Gazette of the Republic by the Game and Fauna Service, the training/exercise of hunting dogs is permitted for the period from March 7 to July 14, 2025 in 13 areas that fall within the European network of protected areas Natura 2000,” it states.
He adds that based on three additional Decrees, the training/exercise of hunting dogs is permitted in 30 additional areas that do not fall within the Natura 2000 Network.
He recalls that Natura 2000 areas constitute Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for the purposes of protecting habitats, wild flora and fauna, as well as for the purposes of conserving wild birds, respectively. The nesting/breeding period of birds lasts from mid-February to mid-June, while the breeding period of sea turtles in Cyprus extends from May 1 to October 31, he notes.
“The issued Decrees of the Game and Fauna Service cover time periods during which, according to European Directives, but also based on Cypriot legislation, the state bears an increased obligation to ensure the effective protection of wild birds and habitats within the Natura 2000 network. Specifically, these Decrees affect 16 protected areas of the Natura 2000 Network,” it states.
He expresses particular concern about the fact that the training and exercise of hunting dogs, based on the issued Decrees, is also allowed in areas of Akamas, although the beaches of Lara and Toxeftra are excluded. “We express the position that it is extremely difficult to ensure the restriction of dogs to the conceivable limits within which their training/exercise is allowed, while at the same time, protection of wild birds and other nesting species is required in Akamas,” he states.
At the same time, it appeals to hunters to demonstrate environmental responsibility and to consider the serious negative impacts that may arise on wild bird fauna within the Natura 2000 network, especially during the critical nesting and breeding period.
