Violations of hunting ground lease terms by BOOR structures identified in the Vitebsk region
13/02/20120 views
13 February, Vitebsk /Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. The Vitebsk Regional Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection has identified violations of the terms of lease for hunting grounds by the regional and district organisational structures of the Republican State-Public Association "Belarusian Society of Hunters and Fishermen" (RSPO "BSHF"), as reported to BELTA by the environmental protection authority.
Throughout the past year, in accordance with the coordination plan for control activities, the Vitebsk Regional Committee conducted scheduled inspections on compliance with environmental legislation for 12 district organisational structures of the institution "Vitebsk Regional Organisational Structure" of the RSPO "BSHF". Lease agreements for hunting grounds were concluded by the regional and district organisational structures of "BSHF" with district executive committees in 2008. However, despite the fact that within two years the user of hunting grounds is obliged to develop a hunting management project, such projects for the leased hunting grounds in the territories of Beshenkovichi, Liozno, Dubrovno, Ushachi, Chashniki, Polotsk, and Vitebsk districts have not been developed. Hunting management activities in the aforementioned district structures are carried out on the basis of biological and economic justifications, the validity period of which cannot exceed 2.5 years.
The Committee for Natural Resources believes that the Vitebsk regional structure is not fully staffed with gamekeepers responsible for protecting hunting grounds. There are instances where gamekeepers are employed at 0.5 and 0.25 rates of their official salary, which negatively affects the implementation of the necessary complex of biotechnological and protective measures. In total, 111 people in the Vitebsk regional structure are empowered to protect hunting grounds. However, over the period of 2010-2011, the full-time employees of the regional structure drew up only 16 protocols, which indicates a low level of protection of hunting grounds against poaching.
During the inspection, it was established that hunting permit holders are not taking sufficient measures to achieve and maintain optimal populations of forest and field game. In recent years, the populations of black grouse, hazel grouse, grey partridge, European hare, and mountain hare have decreased. The actual population of roe deer is below the optimal level in the Rossonsky, Dubrovenksy, and Beshenkovichsky district structures, elk in the Beshenkovichsky district structure, and wild boar in the Rossonsky district structure. In these hunting grounds, measures to maintain the productivity of wild animal populations at an optimal level are not being carried out, and the activities of hunting management are not aimed at the reproduction of these species, according to ecologists.
Based on the inspection results, seven administrative offense reports have been compiled, and 38 measures have been prescribed to eliminate violations in hunting and fishing management. The Vitebsk regional organizational structure of the RGOO "BOOR" is also required to ensure the implementation of protective measures to stop instances of illegal hunting of game species.
The Vitebsk regional organizational structure of the RGOO "BOOR" has 10.8 thousand registered members, including 6.45 thousand with hunting and fishing rights, and 4.3 thousand with fishing rights. -0-
BELTA