The forestry department has urged hunters to take precautions against wildfires as the hunting season opens on Sunday.

Despite recent rainfall in several forest areas, the risk of fires remains high, the department said, warning hunters against lighting fires in unauthorised areas or discarding cigarette butts and lit matches.

It said wildfires in recent years had destroyed large areas of forest and countryside, damaging important habitats for game and other wildlife.

Hunters are also urged not to leave rubbish behind and to collect spent cartridges, which the department said cause serious pollution and are prohibited under wildlife protection legislation.

Anyone who spots smoke or fire in or near a forest should immediately contact the nearest forest station or call 1407 for the forestry department or 112 for the fire brigade.

Both numbers can be called free of charge. The department stressed that protecting forests and wildlife is a shared responsibility.