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Kazakhstan has officially opened its hunting season, introducing new regulations and catch limits for various wild animals. These changes are set to impact wildlife populations, sparking debate among conservationists and authorities.

Wildlife Limits and Conservation Concerns

The Ministry of Ecology has established new hunting quotas based on a "biological justification" report prepared by "EcoBioGen" LLC. However, the Kazakhstan Association for Biodiversity Conservation (KABC) has voiced strong objections to the proposed limits for birds, particularly for ducks and geese. The KABC argues that the suggested quotas, allowing for the hunting of 1,335,310 ducks and 3,029,606 geese, are excessively high and could exceed 15% of the total population, a figure generally considered unsustainable.

KABC specialists suspect that these numbers are based on flawed population data, potentially resulting from counting the same birds multiple times in different locations. "This leads to significant errors and arbitrary distribution of limits between regions," stated the KABC. They contend that the proposed numbers far exceed hunters' needs and previously accepted limits, which were around 250-300 thousand for ducks and geese combined, and 900 thousand to 1 million for ducks alone in previous years. The association urges the report's authors to revise these figures.

The Complex Case of Wolves

The situation regarding wolves is also complex. Historically considered pests, wolves were previously subject to culling. However, several years ago, the Ministry of Ecology reclassified the wolf as a hunting species, opening avenues for hunting businesses to profit from it. This classification has created complications, as wolves have not been removed from the category of regulated species.

According to Sergey Sklyarenko, Director of KABC, hunters are now obtaining free permits via e-Licence instead of paying for guided hunts. This shift negatively impacts the revenue of hunting enterprises. Ministry representatives, however, maintain that wolf populations will continue to be managed and culled as part of population control measures, even without specific hunting limits being set.

Saiga Antelopes: A Precarious Situation

The status of saiga antelopes remains a point of concern. The current proposals include a limit of 1,500 saiga for scientific purposes. However, the specific nature of these scientific objectives, the researchers involved, and the justification for such a large number remain unclear. KABC emphasizes the need for clear justifications when animals are taken for research, detailing the purpose, scientific program, and the exact quantity required.

No provisions have been made for the recreational or commercial hunting of saiga. Orda.kz submitted an official inquiry to the ministry, which responded that opening saiga hunting at this time involves significant risks, particularly the potential for increased poaching of males for their horns if legal hunting were permitted. To combat this, the ministry is collaborating with Kazakhtelecom JSC to develop an identification system for saiga horn products.

In simpler terms, the Ministry of Ecology acknowledges that current legislation lacks specific quotas for wolf hunting, there are no state fees for hunting wolves, and the hunting season for saiga is entirely undefined. Consequently, authorities are currently unable to calculate and establish official limits for how many wolves and saiga can be hunted.

This information was reported by the Infohub.kz news agency.