Hunting legislation in the Carpathian Mountains: implications for the conservation and management of large carnivores

Abstract

The importance of conserving wild populations of large carnivores in balance with local human interests has been recognised throughout the world. However, diverse human activities are in potential conflict with the conservation of large carnivore species. We discuss the role that hunters have in the management of three large carnivore species, the brown bear Ursus arctos, the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx and the wolf Canis lupus in the Carpathian Mountains in central Europe. We considered four different countries (i.e. Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania), comparing the status of large carnivore populations and the regulations of hunting activities. The situation appears to be generally consistent throughout the Carpathian region, although the degree of protection accorded to wolf varies most. Interactions between large carnivores and hunters are well rooted in the culture of local communities in the four countries considered. The large forested areas make the Carpathians an excellent environment for large carnivores, which here are favoured by low human population density. We underline the need for integration of hunting activities and scientific knowledge for future management practices.

Mapping trends of large and medium size carnivores of conservation interest in Romania

“…Independent assessments and monitoring schemes should be further implemented, in order to minimize the errors and to assure the objectivity of the datasets. On the other hand, the increasing or no trends observed for game populations at national level should be expected, if will be considered the active management requested by hunting low, which imposie the maintenance of an optimum size of the population per hunting area (Salvatori et al 2002, Jurj et al 2011. Considering the trends identifi ed at game management unit as proxies of the population viability and as a measure of conservation status (Linnell et al 2008), we may leave the door open for further analyses such as hotspots (Rozylowicz et al 2011, Cogălniceanu et al 2013, as well as interpretation of the results in the context of "umbrella species" approach, keeping in mind that a large number of birds and mammals of conservation interest may benefi t from favorable conservation status of carnivores (Rozylowicz et al 2011).…”

Friends for Life

“…The significant revenue generated by sport hunting is an example: hunters must manage wildlife resources wisely to yield a continued source of revenue (Salvatori et al, 2002). These benefits are not limited to income but can also include food, recreation, medicine, and the maintenance of sociocultural systems (Freeman, 2001).…”

“…In some cases, hunters are being used as park guards, or work with local hunters' associations is undertaken to reduce hunting and therefore eliminate the need to have park guards. Alliances 62 Friends for Life: New partners in support of protected areas 4 Source: Salvatori et al (2002). .…”

Brown bear habitat selection in relation to anthropogenic structures in the Bieszczady Mountains, Poland

“…It is the largest continuous European population out of Russia (Salvatori et al 2002). Due to the former communist type economies in this region, the infrastructure of the Carpathians is less developed than in comparable mountainous areas of Western Europe (Webster et al 2001).…”