The Czech Republic: a hunters' paradise

In recent years the Czech Republic is said to have become a hunters' paradise. The country's pine forests filled with elk, deer and wild boar keep the nation's 100,000 hunters happy and attract thousands of hunters from abroad. While ten years ago the Czech Republic was a popular destination for hunters from Germany, Austria, France and Italy - now hunters come from as far as Canada, the United States and even Saudi Arabia. The regions need money -and are happy to organize hunts for foreigners. Even Princess Caroline is said to have attended a hunt in the Konopiste forests and proved herself highly competent at the sport. In many Western countries hunting has become a private affair for closed societies. Here in the Czech Republic many hunting associations are dependent on the income from wealthy foreign hunters, who are given VIP treatment. Since hunting has always been a very popular pastime in the rural areas the Czech hunting lobby is exceptionally strong and able to defend its interests. However there's a downside to this - and Vojtech Kotecky from the environmentalist group Friends of the Earth explains what it is :

"Czech forests are overpopulated with deer and this imbalance in Nature is due to strong pressure from the hunting lobby which aims to provide more opportunities and more trophies for hunters. However I wouldn't say that foreign hunters are to blame. The pressure is there anyway because the Czech hunting community is very strong. "

I know there's also a lot of illegal hunting going on. Is this a big problem - are a lot of protected species being killed in our forests?

"Well, illegal hunting is a major problem in the Czech Republic, but, again, not because of foreign hunters. It is our hunters who do the damage and poach endangered species. That is so with the lynx, which is on the verge of extinction, and the main pressure on the species is from illegal hunters."

Is it a problem to restore balance to forest wildlife?

There are two key factors that prevent us from restoring and maintaining sustainable animal populations in our forests. There is the pressure from hunters who want an increase of certain species - deer and other "huntable" animals. This leads to overgrazing in forests and, in effect, to endangering the stability and sustainability of mixed forests especially. And then there is the poaching which goes on and which reduces the populations of endangered species, such as the lynx and some birds of prey."

So what can you do about the situation?

"Friends of the Earth above all campaigns for better laws which would give endangered species better protection and we try to persuade hunters to keep the deer population on a level that is sustainable. We work with forest owners on wildlife management -finding a balance that will protect both our flora and fauna."

Do you feel that the situation has improved or has it got worse since the privatization of many Czech forests?

"I wouldn't say there's been a major change since the privatization of forests took place. If there are any new trends they are not related to forest ownership but to hunting laws and the education of the rural population."

So how happy are you with the present hunting law and what changes would you like to see effected, if possible?

"There are three basic problems with the current hunting law. The law stipulates which species must not be hunted, listing them as protected species, but at the same time it places them "in the care of " hunters. As a result hunters feel they are responsible for them, that they are their concern, which on occasion may include shooting them. The second problem is that the law does not commit forest owners or local authorities to respect the existing balance in Nature. And thirdly, the law makes it far too easy for people to hold a weapons license and gives rise to situations where hunters accidentally shoot and injure or even kill people instead of animals. This is something that needs to be dealt with. We need stricter criteria on who can hunt and who should be allowed to use a hunting rifle in an open landscape. "

Do you feel that it is fairly easy to get a gun in this country?

"It is extremely easy to get a firearm in this country and there is widespread ownership and widespread hunting activity in rural areas. This is something we need to deal with because people who simply want to walk in the countryside are endangered by hunters accidentally firing at them."

What are the criteria - if for instance I wanted to join a hunting association and get a rifle?

"Unfortunately at the moment there are no psychological tests that would prevent aggressive or dangerous people from holding a firearm."

If I want a gun for my own protection I would have to undergo psychological tests -how is it possible that if I claim to be a hunter I don't need them? Is it as simple as that?

"You do have some tests for people who hold a gun but the problem is that there are no special tests for people who are going to use guns in an open landscape. There is a difference between having a gun for your protection and using it if you get robbed - and between using a gun in an open landscape. Quite often you have accidents in which people are injured or even killed because a hunter did not see his target clearly and reacted too quickly or too aggressively."

I said at the beginning that the country has a very strong hunting lobby, but what is your position -have you lobbied for these changes in Parliament and do you get any attention?

"Friends of the Earth has been lobbying hard for a change of the current hunting law and we did succeed in pushing through some changes. For example the current provisions regarding the deer population in forests are much better than originally proposed. We do work for an improvement of the law and we will keep lobbying and raising public awareness for improvement in the future. "