Illegal Hunting
From Birdlife Cyprus:
Contact numbers for responsible anti-poaching authorities
The Game Fund is the body responsible in all Cyprus (except in the British Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs)).
Game Fund contact numbers are:
Nicosia: 22 867 786 or 99 461 629
Paphos: 99 445 291
Limassol: 99 623 338
Larnaca/Famagusta: 99 445 808
The Cyprus Police anti-poaching unit is also involved: 96 354 333 and it is definitely worth calling your local Police Station if you get no response from the Game Fund or Police anti-poaching unit
In the SBAs, the responsible authority is the SBA Police, whose anti-poaching hot-line number is: 1443
BirdLife Cyprus office number: 22 455 072
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What the law says about poaching
It is important to be aware of what constitutes (or doesn’t) a violation of the hunting law, which is Cyprus law 152(I) of 2003, transposing the EU Birds Directive (79/409/EEC). Near identical provisions apply in the Sovereign Base (SBA) areas.
Trapping:
- All forms of trapping are totally illegal: mist nets, limesticks, wire traps, etc.
- It is also illegal to possess, sell or eat trapped birds (known as ambelopoulia).
- In fact, no establishment in Cyprus has to date been licensed to serve game – so even legally shot game such as chukar partridges or hares cannot currently be served in a restaurant.
Shooting:
- Licensed hunting is permitted in certain seasons and for certain species (see table below).
- It is illegal to shoot out-of-season or within ‘Game reserve’ areas (recently rechristened ‘Wildlife Conservation Areas’ in some areas and marked with orange signs). The Game Fund issues maps every year showing where shooting is permitted or prohibited (these can be downloaded from www.cypruswildlife.gov.cy).
- Shooting is permitted only during daylight hours and usually only on Sundays and Wednesdays during the hunting seasons – but note that daily shooting is permitted in some, mostly coastal, areas and towards the end of the hunting season, i.e. February.
- Use of calling devices of any sort is illegal, as is shooting from a moving vehicle of any sort.
- Shooting is not permitted within 500 metres of any built up area or within 200 metres of isolated homes. Hunters are not allowed to enter fenced-off areas.
On the table below you can find information on hunting season and game species for each hunting season.
We appreciate your time and your help in tackling poaching in Cyprus.