Cyprus-Forum.com

[webbo]

I hope none of you have forgotten to sign the petition.

of course not - done on the first day of posting!

Bubbles x

[webbo]

Nobody shows or tells anyone their place. Some of these hunters spend weeks seeing which way the birds fly, and then hope nobody else has the same spot. I have never seen anyone shot while hunting in Cyprus, to be honest I am suprised the number is so low. Don't get me wrong, the majority of hunters are very safe, but accidents happen.

I understand. You just be extra vigilant wherever you are.

Bubbles x

[purdey]

Or keep your head down, and just watch.
Just signed...

[webbo]

Or keep your head down, and just watch.
Just signed...

Yes, but preferably from another country

b x

[denizaksulu]

I hope none of you have forgotten to sign the petition.

of course not - done on the first day of posting!

Bubbles x

Had to be sure. It nearly went off on a tangent when 1974 cropped up.

[DT.]

As a soldier you should know that under present law doing so would land me in deep s... . It goes on DT and I will not argue with you. I respect the Cypriot national service, and I acknowledge your higher rank as discussed on a previous thread. I served six years and did two tours in a combat role.

Likewise full respect to your 2 tours. It must have been before my time as I have never come across it.

Lets leave it here.

[Oracle]

The Fisheries Department are an excellent case in point and through their efforts and the support they give other groups, the turtle populations are recovering faster than imagined possible so that now sharks are re-entering the eco-system ...... All good stuff.

Are you saying that the sharks are eating the poor turtles now

Are they Cypriot sharks or nasty interfering foreign sharks

Bill

Mostly native reef sharks I am told. They like to munch on turtles. It's the cycle of life, Bill. Everything serves a purpose and it is good to see biodiversity being restored.

[purdey]

Hey, the talk of sharks will be a good draw for tourists. I hope the lifeguards at Curuim beach don't start shouting shark.

[Oracle]

Unrelated to the reef sharks mentioned above, but found this showing the waters off Cyprus may be recovering in biodiversity.

Sharks ‘pose no risk to Cyprus swimmers’
By Leo Leonidou

THE senior fisheries officer at the Agriculture Ministry yesterday urged swimmers not to panic after three sharks were seen off the coast of Cyprus in as many days last week.

George Georgiou told the Cyprus Mail, “we call these sharks skillopsara or dogfish, which is the general term we use for this type of shark, which is considered to be harmless. In fact, since the police started keeping records, there have not been any reports of sharks attacking humans in the waters off the island.”

On Saturday, amateur fishermen found a shark in their nets off the coast of Akamas. The shark measured 2.5metres in length and weighed in at 260 kilos. Long-time fisherman Prodromos Malietsis said sharks were usually found at a depth of 100 to 200 metres. “This shark was caught in fishing nets aimed at catching big fish. It had three rows of teeth that looked like saws but doesn’t usually go near the coast.”

According to the Cyprus News Agency, the fishermen took the shark back to their village of Yiolou where it became the “attraction of the day”.

Three amateur fishermen killed a three-metre shark off the coast of Larnaca last Wednesday after the shark, along with a five-metre companion, began circling their dingy in a menacing fashion.
Georgiou said many species of shark lived in the Mediterranean, “with most of them found in deep waters. The eastern Med is actually part of their ecological environment. Many are caught by trawlers and by sports fishermen in the summer months.”

Dogfish are small sharks and have many shark-like features such as low-slung mouths, hydroplane-like pectoral fins and uncovered gill slits. Often seen snoozing on the seabed during the day, they feed at night. They are indiscriminate hunters and munch on crabs and whelks as well as eating bottom-living fish like gobies, dabs and gurnards. They will also hunt shoaling fish such as herring and pilchards.

Dogfish rely heavily on their sense of smell when hunting and have been observed slavishly following a scent trail – like a bloodhound – even when their prey has turned and swum right back past them. They are also able to detect faint electrical fields produced by the muscles of hidden prey.

Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2008

[purdey]

There's a job for you in the summer Phoenix, 'Cypriot shark spotter'. You could sit on one of those towers, large hat, flowing floral skirt with matching linen top.