OPINION

Blind fire

…The reaction by hunting organizations to an article titled «Hold Your Fire» published in Kathimerini’s «Oiko» section earlier this month was truly incredible. They complained that our newspaper had not acknowledged their concern for the environment. They defended the work of the game wardens, which they themselves support, presenting evidence of 300,000 inspections over the past two years and 3,000 indictments for poaching in an attempt to prove their «ecological struggle.» They even maintain that it is thanks to their efforts that game species have multiplied and are not under threat, while suggesting that the species that they are not allowed to hunt face extinction. Further, they blame our newspaper for mentioning that Greece faces penalties from the European Union, noting that it has, rather, been indicted to appear before the European Court. But these are weak arguments. The work of the game warden, however intensive it may be, cannot monitor the actions of more than 300,000 hunters, nor the owners of around 1 million guns who fire at will as if waging a war on the few surviving animals. Modern man no longer needs to rely on hunting animals for his survival. On the contrary, the preservation of hunting – in a natural environment which is being undermined by pollution on a daily basis – can only be seen as criminal…

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights, opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox.

By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.