In Ukraine, they want to completely change the rules of hunting: what the new draft law provides for

The Verkhovna Rada has submitted draft law No. 15431 “On Hunting, Hunting and Sustainable Use of Game Animals”, which is intended to completely update the rules for conducting hunting in Ukraine. The document provides for the digitalization of the industry, strengthening the fight against poaching and harmonizing legislation with European Union standards.

Why was there a need for a new law

The authors of the draft law note that the current law, adopted back in 2000, no longer meets modern conditions. It does not take into account digital accounting mechanisms, European environmental requirements, as well as the consequences of a full-scale war and climate change for hunting grounds.

According to the State Forestry Agency, hunting grounds occupy about 38.5 million hectares, which is more than 60% of the territory of Ukraine. There are more than 850 thousand registered hunters and more than 1.1 thousand users of hunting grounds in the country.

What changes are proposed

One of the key innovations will be the creation of a Unified Hunting Register, which will contain information about hunters, land users, permits, hunting animals and hunting results. Most administrative procedures are planned to be transferred to electronic format, and permits will be issued online.

The draft law also proposes:

to introduce mandatory marking of certain types of harvested animals with special means of identification;
to abandon centralized annual harvest limits in favor of plans for the sustainable use of hunting animals;
to establish a transparent competitive procedure for providing hunting lands for use;
to transfer relevant powers to local state administrations.

In addition, the document regulates the procedure for scientific, breeding and diagnostic removal of animals, as well as mechanisms for regulating the number of invasive and unwanted species.

How to fight poaching

The bill provides for increased liability for violations of hunting rules, improved mechanisms for compensation for damages, as well as additional social and legal guarantees for gamekeepers and hunting inspectors.

It is also proposed to abandon paper permits, transferring administrative procedures to electronic format as much as possible.

What is expected from the reform

The explanatory note states that in order to implement the law, it is necessary to create a Unified Hunting Register and a system for identifying captured animals, which will require additional funding.

At the same time, the authors of the initiative expect that the new rules will contribute to the legalization of the hunting products market, the development of hunting tourism, increased transparency of the industry, and increased budget revenues.