Hunters block roundabout to push demands

More than 100 owners of hunting dogs organised blocked traffic access in two lanes of the Konia roundabout in Paphos at 11 am on Saturday, in protest of the limited areas the Cyprus Wildlife Protection department has granted them for training their dogs.

Dog owners reported the death of several hunting dogs in all four of the areas granted due to poison intentionally placed by unknown individuals.
They demanded the granting of more areas, particularly areas deemed permanently restricted, arguing that dog-training does not negatively impact the reproduction of hares or partridges.
Chairman of the Cyprus Hunting Association Pambos Pittokopitis said his association requests proposals for a variety of issues on an annual basis, including the delineation of training areas.
Pittokopitis noted that some “criminals” intentionally plant poison in the dog-hunting areas, resulting in the loss of hunting dogs.
“For us organised hunters, these people are criminals,” he said.
He described the protest as “justified”, saying all hunters should join the effort to eradicate such practices.
In the course of the protest, dog owners cut off traffic in two lanes of the highway for approximately 15 minutes. However, minimal disruption to the public was caused as police members promptly diverted traffic.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.