Seven fined hunting in prohibited areas

Seven people hunting in prohibited areas were fined on Sunday following the official start of the new hunting season.

According to Paphos police spokesman Michalis Nicolaou, two hunters, aged 35 and 58, were spotted by the game service at 8.15am in a prohibited area of Asprokremmos dam on Sunday.

Their riffles, as well as 61 full cartridges and two freshly killed birds, were seized as evidence and they were fined €3,000 each.

According to Nicolaou in a second case at the same time, another game service unit caught three hunters in the village of Steni, who were found to be hunting in a permanently prohibited area.

The three, aged 55, 65 and 66, had their hunting gear, including 150 full cartridges confiscated, as well as 21 freshly killed birds. They were issued fines of €3,220, €3,140 and €3,000.

A third case, also at Asprokremmos dam, involved two persons aged 36 and 39 whose hunting gear, including seven full cartridges, as well as 22 freshly killed birds, were likewise confiscated. The offenders were issued fines of €3,100 and €3,300.