Hunting Ban Dropped To Support Small Hotels

The government’s excuse for lifting the hunting ban in favor of protecting small hotels and related businesses is worthy of mockery, the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature recently said in an announcement.

The Environment, Energy and Climate Change Ministry recently announced in December 2009 that -following consultations held with environmental organizations- hunting would be prohibited exclusively in areas destroyed by fire.

The ministry cited that “in the midst of the present critical Greek economic stage it would be unfair to deprive small hotels and related businesses in rural mountainous areas that depend on hunters as an important economic resource.”

On its part, the Society for the Protection of Nature criticized the decision and underlined that it was not invited to the consultation, while the observations of other organizations had not been taken under consideration.

“Hunting is a major threat to Greek nature, especially in the uncontrolled way it is practiced… Greek fauna has suffered over the past several years due to the destruction and degradation of ecosystems from fires, change of land use and shrinking of habitats,” the society said.

The society called for a new decision to end the hunting season in general on 31 January each year for all species and requested measures to halt the population decline of endangered species.