Game Service nets €750,000 in fines under new law

The Game Service has imposed fines exceeding €750,000 since July 2017 when the new hunting law came into force,

In an announcement in view of the start of the new hunting season on Sunday, the Game Service said that 60% of the fines had been paid within the specified time frame, 15% were still pending while 25% had not been paid and have gone or will go to court.

Of those cases that have been heard, the courts have imposed penalties equal to or higher than the out of court fine, it added.

Under the new law, offences such as hunting without a permit and hunting in a no-hunting area are punished with fines starting from €2,000. Poaching at night is punished with a fine of €25,000.

The Game Service has called on all hunters to adhere to the written and unwritten rules of hunting and to be considerate of other hunters and private property.

It added that the population of hares and partridges was slightly better than last year. One deterrent to further a improvement was the increase in the fox population, the Game Service said.

It also urged hunters not to move around in large numbers and with a large number of hunting dogs so as to give game a fair chance to get away and not to tolerate poaching at night or hunting in no-hunting areas.

Hunting is permitted every Sunday and Wednesday from November 4 to December 30 — a total of 17 hunting outings.

Hunters must always carry their hunting and gun licence and a permit to use hunting dogs. Hunting licences can be renewed online on JCCsmart or at the banks.

The hunting quota is one hare, four partridges and one francolin. The lighting of fires in non-designated areas is prohibited.