Hunting bows: just a cover? Two new Mažeika permits will turn forests into a place of bloody slaughter

The arches are only called a smoke screen

On May 9, the hunting rules amended by Environment Minister Kęstutis Mažeika caused a veritable storm of outrage in Lithuania. The public was most angered by the legalized hoops on the hunt since 2022.

However, there are more points in the amended rules that are controversial.

In particular, some species can be hunted using reflectors: ‘2.6. I modify subclause 10.2.6 and read it as follows: “10.2.6. Hunting projectors with a lamp attached to the rifle (allowed to hunt wild boars, foxes, mangos, raccoons, Canadians, coyotes, and muskrat while stalking, with dogs, or looking for injured animals).

The ecologist, former vice minister of the Environment, Linas Jonauskas, says that this permit is very damaging to nature. “The Minister for the Environment has approved not only bow hunting, but many other solutions as well, which would best be described by the term ‘cruelty to animals’. The legalization of archery is very likely only to deflect the public attention to the most terrible things that have arisen since the rules mentioned above were modified. One of them is hunting with searchlights, “said L. Jonauskas.

Hunting with lights is called incomprehensible

Until now, hunting with reflectors was only allowed when hunting wild boars. In order to reduce the damage caused by wild boars to farmers’ crops, they were allowed to be hunted with light bulbs.

According to the interlocutor, the number of wild boars in Lithuania decreased, so the permission to use light bulbs for this hunting had to be revoked. However, it was done differently: the list of species that could be hunted in this way was expanded.

“Currently, the wild boar population has declined dramatically after the African swine fever, so it was also possible to courageously lift this reserve, but the Minister for the Environment did the opposite and allowed even more animals to hunt at night in this way. ” In addition to wild boars, foxes, mangoes, raccoons, Canadians, coypu and muskrat, they can be hunted at night using searchlights, lying in wait or looking for wounded animals. As it is not possible to control this hunting method, under the cover of the destruction of invasive animals, it will be possible to hunt all the animals with foci, “said the environmentalist.

And here he mentioned the second reason why hunting can be harmful: “The night is a moment of peace, so you shouldn’t hunt at night. What’s more, even when illuminated by a light bulb, the hunter has very little time for a targeted shot, which means that there is a high probability of harming or shooting the animal that was not possible. As a reminder, a colleague from the Environment Minister’s party managed to mix a wild boar with a bison even during the day, so what to expect from those hunters at night?

Vaidas Balys, naturalist and representative of the nature protection organization Baltijos Vilkas, takes the same position. According to him, this is something very harmful that can bring more problems than benefits.

He argued that the threat increased, since in this case the use of measures spread in parallel without providing the necessary means to control.

“There is absolutely nothing in this package about increasing control. In principle, hunters have additional opportunities, and the control options remain the same, which is completely deplorable. For example, in the council, we proposed that foxes, a native species of Lithuania that is non-invasive but constantly compared to them, they receive a non-hunting term, for example, during the summer when the young are raised. However, all these things are ignored and we go into the opposite direction to intensify the operation as much as possible, “explains V. Balys.

He also believes that the use of projectors is a moot point when it comes to hunting wild boars.

“Until now, the outbreaks were only allowed for wild boars, due to their great abundance, they are more or less nocturnal animals, they only walk at night, making it impossible to hunt them.” Now the situation has changed. Although imperfect, the rules for feeding wild boars have been simplified, and the wild boar population has been significantly reduced, both naturally and as a result of the hunters’ actions when they were ordered by the veterinary services. So I think this could really be a moot point, “says V. Balys.

He called hunting with dogs a crime against nature.

And here is the second point that provokes many discussions: “2.28. I modify subparagraph 58.29 and read it as follows: “58.29. during the dark hours of the day (more than an hour and a half after sunset and more than an hour and a half before sunrise) hunting, sneaking, chaining, caldera, driving, and with dogs, except when searching for an injured animal or hunt the invading animals with a dog (mangoes, raccoons, Canadians, coypu and muskrat. “

However, this point is also considered risky by environmentalists. This is how L. Jonauskas calls this hunt a crime against nature.

“In the guise of the otter hunt, the dogs will be released into the woods at night to catch the first forest beast on the way (there is not a single magic dog breed trained to chase only invading animals). It will not be It is possible to shoot a dog-torn forest beast without injuring them, so the beast will either be hit until it is finished or, as in Soviet times, it will be crushed with sticks or other objects by hand. I don’t know of any country where a Such a brutal and barbaric method of hunting, therefore, we are likely to soon become world famous as “extremely friendly to nature,” said L. Jonauskas.

Environmentalist V. Balys has exactly the same opinion. Hunting with dogs is an unethical and barbaric method, he says.

“We suggested that hunting be abandoned, of course, letting dogs hunt for wounded animals and perhaps bird hunting where dogs breed birds, but all this barbaric method of harassing animals and then explaining whether it was invasive or not invasive, the animal would like to see a change in the opposite direction, “he says.

Furthermore, V. Balys emphasized that neither of these two hunting spots had been discussed in the council.

“In the public project, which was presented for coordination with the public, there were points that did not exist before, such as arches. But there is also a point that we are about to communicate now. This is a sudden opportunity: after hunting protected species that cannot be hunted, they may be used for their own needs after reporting to the Department of Environmental Protection. For example, you accidentally hunt a bison, which happened recently, now there will be an opportunity to make sausages with it. And that thing was not in the project that was coordinated with the public, “says V. Balys.

Naturalist: tourists will be affected

Naturalist Andrejus Gaidamavičius also categorically evaluated these two points. According to him, this should be revoked because it is unethical.

“These rules legalize night hunting as well as poaching. The Nature Protection Inspectorate in Lithuania is in the worst condition ever. It is clear that uncontrolled night hunting under the pretext of destruction of invasive species will become in the destruction of all other animals. Measures to regulate the abundance of wild boars and invasive species appropriately and during the day. Therefore, night hunting should be prohibited by law for both human security and the ethics of Hunting Most beasts have become nocturnal due to persecution Society has repeatedly earned these animals’ right to night peace during petitions and protests when the Seimas attempted to break through night vision, “said the naturalist.

He also expressed the position that these hunting techniques will greatly worsen the situation for tourists, as there will be no rest at night.

“It must be understood that hunters’ appetites are infinite and cannot be satisfied with every whim. For example, along with bows and night hunting, otters, which the government removed from the Red Book a year ago, were even asked to hunt. But that would be contrary to an EU directive. Likewise, it requested a significant reduction in the terms of non-hunting of most of the animals during their breeding season. Those terms are already too liberal and translate live but not hatched deer. Therefore, things are very bad in Lithuania with the hunting ethic.

It is very irresponsible to look at what to hunt or where to hunt. Lithuania is only one of the three European countries where hunting in national parks is allowed without restrictions. It is hard to imagine how people will have to feel, for example, in the Labanoras forest, when during the heat of the rest by the lakes, someone will walk along the coasts at night with spotlights, bows and hunting dogs, “said A Gaidamavičius.

Delphi He tried to contact Environment Minister K. Mažeika, but he did not answer the calls and did not answer the message.