A new hunting law in Ukraine has sparked controversy among animal rights activists
Bill No. 15431 has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine; it calls for a large-scale reform of the hunting industry, the digitization of the sector, and changes to hunting regulations. At the same time, the bill has already drawn sharp criticism from animal welfare and environmental organizations, which are calling on lawmakers to reject it as early as the first reading.
The authors of the bill note that the current law on the hunting industry was adopted back in 2000 and no longer meets modern challenges.
The bill aims to create a modern system for managing the hunting industry that will meet European standards and ensure transparency in the use of hunting resources.
Among the key innovations are:
- the creation of a Unified Hunting Registry;
- the transition of most administrative procedures to an electronic format;
- online processing of hunting permits;
- the introduction of special tags for certain species of harvested game;
- the abolition of centralized hunting quotas and the transition to sustainable use plans;
- competitive allocation of hunting grounds;
- Strengthening penalties for poaching;
- expanding social guarantees for gamekeepers and hunting inspectors.
The document also provides for the harmonization of Ukrainian legislation with European Union standards, the development of hunting tourism, and the legalization of the market for hunting products.
The authors of the bill emphasize that the document is intended to address a number of systemic issues:
- vagueness of legislative terms;
- lack of digital record-keeping;
- non-transparent allocation of hunting grounds;
- high levels of poaching;
- low economic efficiency of the industry;
- insufficient protection for hunting industry workers.
It is expected that once the law is adopted, budget revenues will increase thanks to the legalization of the hunting products market, the development of hunting tourism, and fees for the use of hunting grounds.
The organization UAnimals stated that the bill significantly expands hunting opportunities and effectively legalizes the cruel treatment of wild animals.
Among the main objections:
- hunting is defined as a form of active recreation;
- hunting tourism is permitted;
- thermal imaging cameras, drones, and sound-emitting devices may be used;
- hunting is permitted during the closed season, when animals are giving birth and nursing their young;
- skins, antlers, skulls, fangs, and other parts of killed animals are officially recognized as trophies.
UAnimals emphasized that “hunting is not an active form of recreation, but simply killing for entertainment and profit,” calling on members of parliament not to support Bill No. 15431.
The Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center (KECC) also spoke out against the legislative initiative.
Environmentalists claim that the bill:
- legalizes hunting tourism;
- allows the use of thermal imaging cameras, drones, night-vision devices, and other modern technology;
- provides for nighttime hunting of certain animal species;
- significantly reduces fees for the use of hunting grounds;
- expands the list of animals whose populations may be regulated;
- reclassifies certain actions currently considered poaching as violations of hunting regulations, which may result in reduced penalties.
Provisions regarding the capture or destruction of stray dogs in hunting grounds, as well as the creation of a new central body that will simultaneously regulate the industry and promote hunting, have drawn particular criticism.
Representatives of UAnimals and KEKC are calling on the Verkhovna Rada to reject Bill No. 15431 during its first reading.
In their view, the bill cannot be fixed with individual amendments, as its underlying concept is based on the commercialization of wildlife use and the development of the hunting industry.
As a reminder, the Verkhovna Rada prematurely terminated the mandates of People’s Deputies Denys Maslov and Vitaliy Bezgin, who were members of the “Servant of the People” faction. Parliament adopted the relevant resolutions during a plenary session on July 17.
