Elam MP rejects anti-hunting activists’ participation in House committee debate

Nicosia, Cyprus. Elam MP and House environment committee chairman Linos Papayiannis said on Monday he will refuse to invite a group of anti-hunting activists to an upcoming committee debate, accusing them of conduct that had gone “beyond the limits of what is tolerable and permissible.”

He said his decision concerned a specific group which he accused of seeking a complete ban on hunting in Cyprus, rather than activists opposing poaching in general.

Claims over activists’ conduct

Speaking on CyBC, Papayiannis said that when people bypass order, the police and the game and fauna service, they are violating the law.

He said licensed hunters in Larnaca and Limassol had been reported to authorities despite hunting legally, and claimed activists had in some cases stood in front of armed hunters to obstruct them.

Papayiannis said around 10 reported activists operate in Cyprus seasonally, with two permanently based on the island and three or four Cypriots assisting them. He said most came from European countries, including Italy and Sweden.

Committee agenda

Confirming the organisation would not appear before the committee, Papayiannis said: “I am neither going to invite them nor do I recognise them”.

Elam tabled an agenda item before the House environment committee concerning “environmental activists and the phenomena surrounding them”, which has been backed by both Diko and Disy.

Opposition from Akel

Akel MP Marina Nikolaou said Elam had initially sought to table the issue using stronger language referring to activists’ “uncontrolled activities”. She said this wording was withdrawn after Akel objected and the motion later returned under a different title.

Nikolaou said the committee should focus on poaching rather than those exposing it.

Former MP Alexandra Attalides made a similar argument, citing reported threats and assaults against environmental campaigners.