The parliamentary commission on public administration, environment and climate change examined the situation created as a result of the ban imposed on hunting during the 2015-2016 season. The meeting involved Minister of the Environment Valeriu Munteanu, members of the Society of Hunters and Fishermen, the Academy of Sciences and of civil society, IPN reports.
The Government decision, which bans the hunting of hares and of wild geese and ducks, aroused the dissatisfaction of the Society of Hunters and Fishermen, which submitted complaints to the Speaker and the competent parliamentary commission. “Our requests to the minister weren’t taken into account. We are ready to increase the reproduction territory, where hunting is banned, from 20 to 25% for hares, but want to continue hunting. The situation of hares is not catastrophic, as they say. Their number over the last three-four years even increased,” said the Society’s head Oleg Ciocoi.
Minister of the Environment Valeriu Munteanu replied that Moldova has the poorest fauna in Europe now because the necessary regulations were absent. “Through the Association Agreement we signed, we pledged to keep and develop biodiversity in Moldova and nationwide measures must be taken when problems are encountered in this area. There is yet no deontological code that would specify what a hunter must and must not do,” he stated, adding that very harsh measures over poaching will be adopted during three days.
The members of the Academy of Sciences said they are not against banning hunting, but noted that hunting favors the breeding of particular animals. The species managed by hunters are much larger than other species owing to the good intentions of the correct hunters.
On September 30, members of the Society of Hunters and Fishermen expressed again their dissatisfaction with the mentioned Government decision, which was adopted in August, by a protest.
