Hunters are loading up for 15 days of the Light Game Season which begins tomorrow and will continue on Sundays and Wednesdays until the end of February. Hunting is allowed between sunrise and sunset only for the listed quarry of woodcock, blackbird and thrush, wood pigeon, wild pigeon, crow and magpie.
Forbidden areas include a 500-metre margin around all reservoirs, lakes and dams, a 200-metre exclusion zone near residential areas, a 300- metre margin around picnic areas, all military areas, the Taşkent TRNC flag area and meteorological stations.
A 2016 map of numbered hunting areas produced by the Interior Ministry shows the prohibited areas in red and may be viewed at local district or municipality offices.
Hunting is banned in areas numbered 1, 21-26, 28-30, 33-35, 37, 38, 41- 44, 52, 53 and 56. Partial bans have been announced for the Girne-Değirmenlik road and the back road from Ozanköy to Çatalköy; as well as a 300- metre margin around Korineum Golf Club (Area 40); but the area from Dipkarpaz to Ayios Philon, east to Efendiler Çiftliği and as far as the new National Park barriers will be open for hunting.
Restrictions are also in place in parts of Zeytinlik, Edremit and Karaman (Area 46); Bafra holiday village (Area 10); Ardahan, Topcuköy and Iskele (Area 16), a 300-metre margin around Büyükkonuk football pitch (Area 14); Güzelyurt, Yayla, Akdeniz, Cypfruvex and the Kalkanlı monumental olive trees (Area 50).
Bans also affect forestry near Kurudere (Area 27); Geçitkale, Tatlisu Çınarlı, Akova and Altınova (Area 20) west of the road leading to the Ercan fly-over and Ercan airport (Area 36); and Yeni Erenköy carob warehouse, Sipahi and Karpaz Gate Marina (Areas 4 and 7).
Officials reminded hunters that shotguns must be transported broken in the boot of the car and asked them to respect “no hunting” areas, newly planted trees, the environment, road or municipal signs and telephone and electricity lines.
By Anne Canalp for Cyprus Today
