Chicken, goats, sheep and rabbit in your picturesque home yard in the village? Forget it! The Greek government issued a decision to ban domestic animals in cities and villages yards especially in those with touristic interest.
To start with, the ban will be implemented first on the island of Crete and thus in the east part, the Regional Unit of Lasithi.
According to media, the relevant decision was uploaded on a government website on March 8, 2023 and with the title “Definition of domestic animals and birds in the towns and villages of the Lassithi Regional Unit of Crete”.
According to the decision:
1) It is prohibited to keep animals and birds within the City Plans of Agios Nikolaos, Ierapetra and Sitia
2) In the inland regional settlements of the above cities, with the conditions that they are not classified as touristic and are at least 400 from the coastline, and on the outskirts of Neapolis as an agricultural and livestock city, up to two.
(2) adult sheep and goats and their derivatives up to four months with a maximum total number of animals of (5) five, six (6) poultry and two (2) rabbits not including suckling animals until their slaughter.
3) In the other settlements of the Prefecture (except for tourist ones) it is allowed to keep up to two (2) adult sheep and goats and their derivatives up to four months old with a maximum total number of animals of (5) five, ten (10) poultry, four (4) rabbits excluding suckling pigs until their slaughter, one (1) sow and one (1) pig until the final fattening stage.
4) The term avian includes laying hens, broilers, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowls, pheasants, partridges, quails.
5) The keeping of animals and birds of more than the three aforementioned categories is NOT considered a stable of domestic animals, but a mixed poultry breeding facility that will require the issuance of the required permits.
6) It is prohibited to keep animals and birds in tourist areas or areas of tourist interest (beach areas, archaeological sites, etc.)
7) For case (2) the permitted number of animals and birds will be kept in suitable facilities, which will be located closest to the owner’s house or in case this is not possible at a distance of fifty (50) meters from any other legal residence.
For case (3) the permitted number of animals and birds will be kept in suitable facilities, which will be located closest to the owner’s house or in case this is not possible at a distance of thirty (30) meters for fowls, rabbits and sheep and goats and seventy (70) meters for pigs, and horses, from any other legal residence.
In any case, it is necessary to respect the distances from sensitive activities, as described in article 20 “Appendix” of Law 4056/2012
According to local media, the decision for the ban was released by the Regional Governor of Crete ahead of the tourism season.
Has April Fool’s Day been brought forward this year?
What did they smoke this time ? Greece is probably one of the last locations where tourists from the cities can see live animals.
pot expired in 2020
if only it were just april fools! but these monsters do not stop, they have made it clear over and over and over again, they do not want people to have any independent means of making a living, they do not want people to have any alternatives to their corporate-controlled world, they do not want people to have even a morsel of food to eat outside of their controlled prison. They will not stop until people stand up and say no, this nonsense stops,. nobody every gave you the right to dictate these things, even a government does not have absolute power, not legitimately.
Many other things are being brought forward too Savvas like the upgrading of energy certificates on every single piece of property in Europe,they have many surprises for us to which punishment will be swift and sharp should we not conform.
Oh how stupid is this! Tourists love to see sheep and goats around abouts and what harm are any of the animals doing? Just living their lives. The shepherds and citizens with these animals and birds will not be happy, will probably ignore the stupid law.
How about Llamas, Ostrich farms , Aquariums release them back into the wilds of forests & sea. Our ‘overlords’ are surpassing themselves in conservation ideas & sensitivity of Tourists.
It is quite obvious that rabies is rampant in Greek politics.
April fools day is early
Silly seaon has arrived before the tourist
How absolutely ridiculous, lets turn Greece into just another characterless concrete tourist mecca, I was a tourist before opting to buy on Crete 17 years ago and one of the things that drew me to Greece was the very things that are being banned and I should imagine this applies to the majority of tourists, don’t get it, maybe I’m thick
Is this a “prep stage” (test the waters) for the 15 minute city global agenda?
I agree that no one should live too closely to a pig (usually the stench is horrible) but what can you do when you live close to politicians? 🙂
Move house!
This is once again the babblings of, in my opinion, someone living in a different world to the people of Create. Athens wants to get more money from tourism on Crete, they speak of all year tourism, totally ignoring the citizens needs or wishes. If my observations are anything to go by, it is the winter time that many of the people of Crete take care of their olive plantations and vineyards. In addition it is their time to rejuvenate from the long hours of taking care of the tourists every need during summer. This banning of domestic animals from villages appears to be the next step in the Governments uneducated plan to appease the tourists who, if truth be told, have no problem with this part of daily village life. The incessant barking through the night of some poor dog tied up is probably more of annoying to the tourists. The question must be asked why would anyone want to change things to become just like any other country. Once the Greekness is gone, why would anyone want to visit. I consider the planed water park at Kornus Lake, destroying the beauty and quiet of the area another abomination that will create more environmental problems than it is worth. Where will all the rubbish and sewage go that mass tourism brings with it.
My very first holiday abroad as an adult was to Malia on Crete at Pascha. We arrived in the middle of a very grey and windy night. When I opened the curtains of the hotel room in the morning it was to see a beautiful clear blue sky and in the garden of a house opposite the hotel was a lamb hanging from the branch of a tree dripping blood into a bucket. I have never enjoyed a holiday as much in my life and now, many years later, I live here, albeit to the west of the island. Crete should carry a health warning: “Highly Addictive”.
If Mitsotakis thinks the residents of Crete will take any notice of whatever he decrees he is very much mistaken. I presume he is relying on the police to enforce this new law but all of them have their own livestock.
PS “keeptalkinggreece
pot expired in 2020”
Not if you look at the menu boards in most Amsterdam cafés. Cretan pot is usually at the top of the list.
If Greece wants to improve the impression on tourists of animal care, there should be more protection of dogs and cats. Visitors are often horrified and disgusted by what they see here, and decide not to return.
Very true, should be top of their list
Tourists that like real life sounds of tinkling goat bells and cockerels crowing are probably not the ‘right’ sort of tourists, ie not big spenders. The globalists want to stop people producing their own food, next they’ll try and ban home grown fruit and vegetables, just watch this space….
Why do they insist in going in the wrong direction ? For everything ! Whatever happened to green tourism, agrotourism AND sustainability which is the ONLY way forward in the longterm. As already mentioned, the tourists actually enjoy the rusticity of Greece and find it rather quaint.
“If Mitsotakis thinks the residents of Crete will take any notice of whatever he decrees he is very much mistaken. I presume he is relying on the police to enforce this new law but all of them have their own livestock.”
He’s deluded perhaps – he comes from Crete so he must be aware of e.g. Zoniana?! “Appearing” to be deluded seems to be a prerequisite of many “young global leaders”.
The “Creatures” don’t want the possibility of local exchange of quality fresh eggs, milk, fruits and veg – they want to herd everyone to the supermarkets so we can pay X % VPR to the “government” to consume inferior products.
This is disgusting, what is a Tourist area? it is a resident area first and foremost their homme and part of the charm of Greece.
Phew, I’ve just realised my mixed menagerie won’t be affected because they all self identify as squirrels 🙂