The Game and Fauna Service has reversed an earlier decision and will now allow hunting dogs to be trained in protected Natura 2000 network areas during the critical bird breeding season, following pressure from hunting associations.
The revised decree permits the training of hunting dogs from early March to mid-July, coinciding with the nesting and reproduction period for birds and game animals, environmental organisations said.
According to the previous decree that came into force in January, training hunting dogs was prohibited during March, April, May and June in all areas, particularly in protected Natura 2000 network sites.
However, two decrees published in the Official Gazette of the Republic on 7 March now allow individuals with valid hunting licences who have paid the dog training fee (€20) to train up to four hunting dogs in designated areas from sunrise to sunset.
The training is permitted from 7 March until 14 July 2025 across 33 designated areas across Cyprus: six in Nicosia district, five in Limassol, four in Larnaca, nine in Paphos and nine in Famagusta.
Environmental organisations have expressed concerns that 13 of these areas fall within the Natura 2000 network, affecting 16 protected areas designated either as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) for the protection of natural habitats and wild flora and fauna, or as Special Protection Areas (SPA) for wild birds.
The main concern involves areas designated as SPAs and SACs, where the training of hunting dogs could significantly and negatively affect protected bird species and their natural habitats, environmentalists said.
The training period (March-July) coincides with bird nesting and breeding seasons, they noted.
The environmental groups highlighted that the decrees have not undergone Special Ecological Assessment to evaluate the impact of these activities on conservation objectives for protected Natura 2000 network areas.
This appears to constitute a violation of EU environmental legislation and the harmonising legislation of the Republic of Cyprus.
One particularly contentious example involves permitted dog training on the strictly protected Toxeftra beach, which falls within both the Akamas Peninsula SAC and SPA, while simultaneously being part of the Lara-Toxeftra Marine Protected Area.
This marine area represents the main nesting site for priority sea turtle species Chelonia mydas and Caretta caretta in Cyprus, and is the only area in Cyprus designated as a Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance.
The European Commission has already sent warning letters to Cyprus authorities, including a Letter of Formal Notice in November 2019 and a Reasoned Opinion in March 2024. The ongoing infringement procedure could now be referred to the European Court of Justice if Cyprus fails to comply with EU law on nature conservation and biodiversity protection.
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