A new serious poaching incident involving a Department of Forests official was reported yesterday by the Game and Fauna Service, raising fresh concerns about repeated violations by government employees.
Game wardens caught the official, who works at Kampos forest station, hunting in a prohibited zone in the Kampos area, according to the Game and Fauna Service.
His vehicle was found camouflaged 200 metres from the nearest permitted hunting area. Wardens imposed an administrative fine of €3,300.
The case is part of a troubling pattern. Cases involving Department of Forests officials are repeated, the Game and Fauna Service said.
Some Department of Forests employees exploit the nature of their work at observation posts and inaccessible points, where access by other services for inspections is limited or almost impossible.
The latest incident follows a grave hare poaching case reported by the Game and Fauna Service last Sunday in the Kouklia and Timi communities of the Paphos district.
After stopping the poachers’ vehicle, game wardens discovered that two of the three suspects worked for the Department of Forests, and this was not the first time they had been involved in similar cases.
In recent days, Game and Fauna Service members have reported several cases of illegal activity. The violations involve hunting in prohibited areas and the deliberate release of hunting dogs in these areas during excursions.
The purpose of this practice is to drive hares from their shelters towards the boundaries of permitted areas, so they can be hunted by accomplice hunters.
The recent incidents involving forestry employees have alarmed the General Directorate of Environment at the Agriculture Ministry.
According to sources, a meeting is expected to review the serious issue, with directors from the Department of Forests and Game and Fauna Service participating.