The ARTEMIS programme operates on 2 axes and consists of AREMIS I, which studies population dynamics of game species on all Greek territory by keeping records when game is harvested, and ARTEMIS II which studies the population structure of different species of game in the country by recording age and gender. The name “ARTEMIS” was given to the programme in honour of the goddess of hunting and protectress of hunters. It is the first study to be carried out on a Pan-Hellenic scale on the subject of sustainable hunting.
Both programmes are supervised by specialist scientists. ARTEMIS I has been in operation for 17 consecutive years, since 1995, and ARTEMIS II since 2005. Having functioned for so many years, both programmes are now in a position to provide complete and satisfactory results on the state of the game population in Greece.
The Hunting Confederation of Greece was drawn into implementing the Artemis Programme because of a complete void of scientific and statistical data concerning hunting activity in Greece on the part of the State. In addition, it had frequently been noted that subjective data of dubious validity was published by various sources on the state of game populations and hunting in Greece. For these two reasons, the Hunting Confederation of Greece decided early on to assign a specialist team of scientists to the development of the Artemis Programme in order to fill this gap and, at the same time, develop the framework for correct and sustainable hunting management of game populations in Greece.
It must also be emphasized that the European Committee has recently been cooperating officially with hunting organizations to obtain data on game populations. In particular, in central and northern Europe, hunting organizations and hunters are official affiliates of the State and participate in research programmes studying game populations, as their management role of this renewable natural resource is fully recognized.
Three graphs depicting population development from 1995 until today for the hare, woodcock and wild boar can be seen below. The adaptation of harvesting by hunters to the available numbers is shown in all three charts as well as the continuous and enduring difference between the numbers of game spotted and the numbers of game actually harvested, the stability of populations over the years pertaining to this study, as well as the increase in the numbers of wild boar over the last two years, which are reflected in the numbers harvested.
Graph 1. Shows the development in the abundance of the hare population per year from 1995-1996 until 2011-2012 all over Greece: Average annual Game hunting Opportunity, average annual Harvesting of Game per hunter and per expedition and demand for Game.
Graph 2 shows the development of indicators in numbers of game for the woodcock per year from 1995-1996 until 2011-2012 all over Greece: Average annual Hunting opportunity, average annual harvest of game per hunter and expedition and demand for game.
Graph 3.shows the development of indicators in abundance of game for the wild boar per year, from 1995-1996 until 2011-2012 all over Greece: Average annual hunting opportunity, average annual harvest of game per hunter and expedition and demand for game.