Despite the fact that poaching fines are stiff, however, hundreds appear to continue to break the law, with the number reaching a total of 500 in a year, of which 121 were reported for serious cases, with the 30%, that is, one in three, have not yet proceeded to pay the fine and their case to proceed before a Court.
The serious cases, more specifically, concern illegal trapping with nets and longlines, hunting in a prohibited hunting area without a hunting permit, as well as poisoning. Also, there are several cases of poaching during the night, which motivates the members of Thera and for this reason, they are on their feet twenty-four hours a day.
According to the information he provided to REPORTER, the Officer of the Thira Fund, Petros Anagiotos, for 2022 around 500 out-of-court orders were issued, with the total amount imposed being around 500,000 euros. “There are two types of out-of-court cases, which are the least serious, which are paid at 95%, while there are also the more serious ones, numbering 121 out-of-court cases, whose repayment rate is usually 60%. However, there are pending some to be paid that are within the margin of the Legislation for payment and some others that have not been paid and will be taken to court, which is around 30% of serious cases”.
In fact, the phenomenon of poisoning is quite intense, since the members of the Service often detect such cases by placing illegal baits. “The extrajudicial fine depends on the season when the illegality is committed, on the area, on the time it is committed, whether it is night or day, as well as whether it is spring or autumn and on the species that one hunts. For example, for the hunting of a wild boar, the fine is 40,000 euros, while if it is a vulture it is 16,000 euros. So there are too many examples for each fine”.
The bitter fine that upset the Thera
A heavy bell was recently imposed on a poacher, for killing wild birds by using poisoned baits, with an out-of-court fine reaching 21,000 euros. In particular, the court case is based on offenses that appear to have been committed in December 2021, where three birds of prey, two ospreys and a double-breasted eagle, were found dead in the area of Dieronas community in the province of Limassol. The identification of the above birds was made through the signals emitted by the satellite transmitter carried by one of the two Spizaet and was the reason for the mobilization of the Game and Fauna Service and the investigation that followed in the area in cooperation with the Police.
Thus, the suspect was imposed an extrajudicial fine of 21,000 euros for multiple offenses, while according to the provisions of the legislation the court can impose a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine of up to €20,000 or a combination thereof, for each offense separately.
According to the Game Service, this is the first time in Cyprus that the crime of using poisoned baits and killing wild birds with the use of poison has been documented. “The law provides for particularly severe penalties for killing an endangered species, such as the Spitz Eagle in this case. The immediate mobilization and coordination between the competent authorities for the thorough investigation of the case, including the Police, the Game and Fauna Service, the State General Chemistry, the Veterinary Services and the Department of Agriculture, played a decisive role”.
The penalties provided for killing species of wild animals
At the same time, the penalties provided by the Game and Wildlife Service are harsher, especially during the breeding season, which is from March 1st to August 15th, since almost all species of wild animals are in the process of breeding, which it is probably the most important phase of their life.
This period begins with mating, is followed by nesting, egg-laying and hatching for birds and the birth of young for mammals, and ends with the growth and independence of young birds and mammals from their parents. At the beginning of the breeding season, the species' populations are at the lowest level of their annual population, and their population increases as we move into summer.
The breeding season, according to the Game Service, is considered particularly important for the condition of the species during the rest of the year, while for game, a successful breeding season also heralds a very good hunting year. Due to the importance of the period both the European Directive and the National Legislation are particularly sensitive and strict and in their texts they include provisions that promote and ensure the unhindered and problem-free reproductive period.
The penalty for killing, capturing, harassing or stalking any kind of wild animal in any way, including wild animals, during the above period, is €8,000. In addition to the above fine, a fine of €1,000 is added for killing, arresting, harassing or stalking in a prohibited hunting area, since at the present time all areas are considered as prohibited hunting areas.
At the same time, the extrajudicial fine increases if take into account, the species of wildlife killed, the number of individuals of the species of wildlife killed and the time when the offense took place.
