The hunting activity in Hellas P. Birtsas 1,2 , C. Sokos 1 , N. Hasanagas 3 , C. Billinis 4 1 Research Division, Hunting Federation of Macedonia & Thrace, Ethnikis Antistasis 173-175, 551 34, Thessaloniki, Hellas (Greece), e-mail: sokos@hunters.gr ²Wildlife Laboratory, Department of Forestry and Management of Natural Environment, Technological Education Institute of Larissa, End of Mavromichali Str., 43100, Karditsa 3 Forest Research Institute, GR 57006 Vassilika- Thessaloniki, Hellas 4 Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Trikalon 224, 43100 Karditsa, Hellas Introduction In Hellas (Greece), the quarry belongs to the hunter and not to the landowner, while the hunting right is acquired by the edition of hunting license, which is valid for a prefecture or for a hunting region or for the whole country. The most desirable sedentary quarry for the Hellenes hunters is the hare (Thomaides et al. 2007). The hare hunters characterize their activity as quite efficient, due to the benefits they enjoy, and they do not think of replacing it with other countryside activity (fishing, trekking etc.). Simultaneously, they spend at average 69 days and 2000 Euro annually in hare hunting. The commercial consumption based on hare hunting runs into several tens of millions euro at national level (Sokos et al. 2003). The same authors mention that the hare hunters – as wildlife users – believe that measures for improving the quality of hare hunting are necessary. They also declare that they would be willing to pay, as long as the effective use of their money can be assured. In the hunting region of Macedonia and Thrace, hunting, is mainly practiced by the so-called “people class” (workers, farmers and self-employed) (Tsachalidis et al. 2003). In this region, the number of hunting licenses had a peak at hunting season 1985-1986. After the hunting season 1991-1992 the number of hunting licenses was decreasing with a stable rate (Tsachalidis 2003). According to Tsachalidis (2003) this decrease was because of socioeconomic and environmental changes. In Hellas, the hunting organizations have plaid an important role in the conservation of our natural heritage since the beginning of the 20 th century. The so-called “Hunting Associations” have acquired a single Article of Association and have been placed under the supervision of the Forest Service according to the Forest Law of 1929. This status is maintained in general until today. At that time, under the pressure of hunting organizations wildlife wardens with wider conservation duties were employed, endangered species are set under conservation status, quite strict hunting regulations are institutionalized, killing and sale of game species were forbidden and hunting parks were founded – these were the first protected areas. In this way, the hunters are fairly regarded by the society as the first lobby which begun actions for nature protection. However, today serious deficiencies and weaknesses in hunting administration and management cause consequences to hunting economy and wildlife (Sokos et al. 2002). Some of these are: 1) species hybridization (Barbanera et al. 2009), 2) deficiencies in planning of sustainable harvest for species like roe deer, grey partridge and pheasant (Sokos and Birtsas 2005), 3) the extensive spatial and temporal hunting prohibitions without documentation (Sokos et al. 2002), 4) the inadequate education of hunters (Sokos et al. 2003), 5) the no application of predators control (Sokos et al. 2008a), and 6) the inappropriate releases of hunted species (Sokos and Birtsas 2000, Sokos et al. 2008b). Following we describe the two agencies dealing with hunting in Hellas. The Hellenic Forest Service and its role in the wildlife management In Hellas, the wildlife management and the particular subject of hunting is one of the sub- disciplines of Forest Science and Forestry. The development of hunting and the wildlife Birtsas P.K., Sokos C., Hasanagas N., Billinis C. 2009. The hunting activity in Hellas. Proc. VI th International Symposium on Wild Fauna. Organized by Wild Animal Vigilance Euromediterranean Society 21- 24/5/2009 Paris, p. 52–53.