20 November, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Some lessees of hunting grounds in the Vitebsk region have been recommended to increase beaver harvesting quotas and bring their population to an optimal level. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by the Vitebsk Regional Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. The population of the river beaver, once listed in the Red Book, has significantly increased and is beginning to cause tangible harm to the environment and residents of rural areas. In this regard, there is a need to increase harvesting quotas, the committee explained. In the 2010/2011 hunting season, all hunting users planned to harvest 1.5 thousand beavers out of 19.3 thousand. Although beaver harvesting increased by 80 individuals compared to the previous season, the extraction plan for beavers was only 83%. For the most complete utilisation of quotas, natural resources and environmental protection inspectorates, after coordinating the plans, will issue directives to lessees for 100% utilisation of quotas in their territories. River beavers in Belarus can be harvested from September 1 to January 31. -0-

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