Kenn Walters
There are often complaints from members of Javea Connect regarding shooting or hunting taking place in the region and on “open land” around the area. JC. Admin Kenn Walters explains…..
Generally, land allowed for hunting must be clearly marked, as is land specifically not allowed by hunting, usually by means of small signs hung on open land boundaries, (e.g. permiso de caza) or in hunting reserves or publicly owned/controlled land (coto privado de caza/coto vedado de caza).
Hunting grounds are known as ´terrenos cinegéticos´ and must be qualified as such for hunters to be authorised to hunt there. Hunting on private property is only possible with previous consent of the owners. If you own or rent rural property and are not sure whether the previous owners might have authorised hunting on their (or now your) terrain, you can check with Town Hall or the local hunting society if your terrain is included in the ´plan de ordenación cinegética´ or ´plan técnico de caza´ and retract the authorisation if you wish to do so. You can also ask for information with Valencia Community (link at bottom).
If your land isn’t fenced off, it isn’t private according to Spanish law. You may wish to (at least) post notices of “coto privado” as a deterrent, BUT, if your land is on the “allowed to hunt” register, this is meaningless in law.
Hunting is only permitted with a licence, so if you detect hunters on your terrain while you have not given authorisation, you can ask them for their licence and report them with Policia Local / Guardia if you wish.
The law re distance of shooting from people, streets, house etc, whether campo or urban is they can not shoot any closer than 2o0m from the end of a town, 50m from an isolated house, 100m from national, regional or local road, 50m from unpaved public road, and never towards a house or town.
If they are breaking the above rules, or shooting out of season, (see below), you report them to the Police or Guardia Civil as it is a licensing law infringement. Town Hall is NOT responsible for this. Complaints about the rules being broken or (especially) unsafe shooting happening can be made to any police department obviously, (it has nothing to do with the townhall here necessarily), but the correct (and possibly most rapid response) people to contact are Intervenciones de Armas, Denia Guardia Civil, (Denia office covers this entire local area), at 96 578 0036. You may also contact the department in Valencia who are responsible for the entire region to complain: http://www.agroambient.gva.es/web/medio-natural
Hunting Season by game type 2018-19.
The Official Gazette of the Valencian Community, Order 20/2018, published on June 14th 2018, by the Councillor for Agriculture, Environment, Climate Change and Rural Development, sets out, the working periods and hunting rules in Valencia for the 2018-2019 season.
Thus, in the common hunting areas of the Comunitat Valenciana, the following forms are authorized:
Hunting of rabbit with dogs and without weapons from the third Sunday of July to December 25, 2018. Working days: Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays and regional and national holidays. The use of greyhounds is prohibited in groups of more than 8 per hunter or 15 in total for a group of hunters. The use of attack dogs throughout the period is prohibited
Falconry from October 12, 2018 to first Sunday in February 2019. Falconry bird training: all year round, with artificial lure. Small game from fixed position: from October 12 to December 6, 2018.
Small game birds from fixed positions with shotguns: Authorized species only as given in annex of the law, (link below). Species marked with double asterisk (**). October 12 to December 6, 2018. Saturdays, Sundays and regional and national holidays only.
Small game including with guns: Authorized species (non aquatic animals, -including Rabbit and Hare), only as given in annex of the law, (link below). October 12 to December 6, 2018. Saturdays, Sundays and regional and national holidays only.
Hunting of boar and large game (defined in the annex of law, as Mountain goat (Capra pyrenaica), Red Deer (Cervus elaphus), Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus), Fallow Deer, (Dama dama), Wild boar (Sus scrofa) Mouflon/Wild Sheep (Ovis musimon/Orientalis),): from October 12 to December 6, 2018. Including migratory boar ONLY in hunting grounds and controlled hunting areas. Limits (“bag limits” for each species per hunter) apply.
Half / Special Seasons:
- In fixed position: wood pigeon, wild pigeon, zurita pigeon, starling, magpie and fox, from the second Sunday of August to September 10, 2018. European turtledove, from August 20 to September 10, Sundays only.
- b) Quail (free flying or hand released), from the second Sunday of August to September 10, 2018.
- d) Waterfowl, from October 12, 2018 to February 11, 2019. The period will be shorter if this is provided in the resolutions approving the Technical Plans for Hunting. In the Albufera Natural Park, the end of the season will be February 4 and will be governed by its own regulations.
Partridge only with “bag limit” and authorized take: in the hunting grounds and controlled hunting areas in which the approval resolution of the Hunting Management Plan of partridge is in effect, end of season will be the last day of February of 2018.
Consult link for the full law and season rules in Valencia State 2018/19. – http://www.elcotodecaza.com/sites/default/files/ordenesVeda/Orden%20de%20Vedas%20de%20la%20Comunidad%20Valenciana%202018-19.pdf
This link for all general hunting rules and regulations in Valencia State: – http://www.agroambient.gva.es/web/medio-natural/caza
