Oleg Chokoy
From the history of the issue. In 2024, the Parliament of RM adopted the Law No. 55 on hunting and protection of the hunting fund. In fulfillment of its requirements, hunting funds are created in the country, in the amount of 191 territorial units. They are transferred to the management of users through auctions. During 2025, the Ministry of Environment, under the rank of the Administrator of the National Hunting Fund, has developed and adopted bylaws and formed the relevant funds – on the basis of forest and so-called “open” type lands: fields, meadows, wetlands, etc.
It was also decided that this year, starting from December 1, auctions will be held for long-term use of these funds – for a fee, of course. It is assumed that 40 hunting grounds will be put up for auction every day. As a result, they will find users in one or two weeks of December at most. It can be assumed that in the “battle” for these funds two well armed and numerous armies will meet: hunters and foresters. The former will “fight” with their own money, the latter – for the state budgets.
It is appropriate to note in this connection that the new hunting funds were formed “not on a level playing field”. Until now, forest lands were managed by the Moldsilva Agency and leaseholders. Open-type hunting grounds were managed by the Society of Hunters and Fishermen of Moldova. Accordingly, the arrangement and development of these lands for many years was carried out at the expense of material and other resources of the mentioned legal entities.
The origins of fears and contradictions. According to the associated hunters and fishermen, the important fact that the current users of hunting grounds “invested money and soul in this activity” was not taken into account by the authors of the new law on specialized activity. The framework document provides that all participants of auctions for the right to use hunting grounds are “on an equal footing” – without regard to previous achievements and level of qualification. In other words, any legal entities are allowed to participate in the auction, regardless of whether they have previously managed hunting grounds or not.
By and large, it should be assumed that one of the main conditions for applying for participation in the auction is the financial solvency of the potential manager of the hunting farm. Since the winner and the happy user of hunting grounds will have to pay annually tens or even hundreds of thousands of lei in rent during the whole term of the contract (15 years).
Besides, the user of the hunting area will have to invest sufficient financial resources in the development of the fund – maintenance and scientifically-based regulation (not only shooting, but also creation of favorable conditions for multiplication) of the number of wild animals.
Hunting activity implies, at least, special knowledge and skills. And, in addition – the availability of significant resources for the organization of territories and special facilities (forest belts for the migration of animals from one part of the habitat to another, structures for feeding animals, etc.). That is, hunting as a hobby requires large expenditures – for equipment, outfit, services of specialists. Hunting as a business is associated with the risk of at least unstable income, and even losses.
By the way, judging by the financial reports for 2024, hunting activities of many of the more than two dozen forestry farms under the jurisdiction of Moldsilva are unprofitable. Moreover, over the last decade, the costs of biotechnical works in the forest exceeded the income from hunting ten times or more.
In this context, according to the Society of Hunters and Fishermen of Moldova, the decision of some leskhozes to participate in auctions for the transfer of hunting funds for use is surprising and perplexing. Moreover, not only forests that are of interest from the point of view of organizing hunting for ungulates, but also hunting grounds in which forest tracts occupy less than 15-20% of the total territory.
Oleg Ciocoi, Chairman of the Republican Council of the Society of Hunters and Fishermen of Moldova:
“It would be logical to assume that leskhozes will fight for the right to organize hunting activities only in forests. That is, in those lands, which were previously managed by them for many years, in which they invested financial and human resources. And other potential users would claim hunting funds in which open-type lands (agricultural lands, wetlands, etc.) predominate.
The decision of leskhozes to compete with other participants of auctions for lands that have no prospects in the development of ungulate hunting looks illogical and raises questions. With what money and why? After all, before, when they did not have to pay rent, hunting activities of leskhozes were unprofitable. After all, government agencies, adopting a new law on the development of hunting activities, were guided by the goal to give this now unprofitable for the state sphere to private investors. And to concentrate the work of leskhozes on planting forests and taking care of them. Maybe, against the background of the financing of 200 million euros promised by European development partners for afforestation in Moldova, it will be convenient for someone to write off even higher expenses on side activities? After all, it is unlikely that the staff of the Court of Accounts will ask the reindeer how much corn the foresters actually fed them”.
