250 animal killing permits auctioned in Minsk

28/09/2012 - 12:29

Ecologists demand to stop the practice of "purchasing the right to kill" and are trying to raise money to save an elk.

250 wild animals are auctioned at the exposition "Hunting and Fishing" in Minsk. The starting price for the right to kill an elk is 8 million roubles.

Head of the Association of Hunters and Fishermen Yury Shumski has promised that if ecologists manage to buy an elk... it will live until the next season.

There are about 100 thousand people who love hunting in Belarus, he added. The money made on it will be used for the development of game preserves.

Ecologists have created an account to save at least one elk. But only one million roubles was collected on the first day of the auction - 1/8th of the starting price. 4 thousand people have signed the petition to cancel the auction, chairperson of "Ecodom" Iryna Suhiy said.

The Ministry of Forestry assures - there will be enough elks. The number of these animals living in our country reaches 27 thousands.

628 elks were killed in the Association of Hunters and Foresters last season. They are planning to kill 900 elks, 3.5 thousand does and 13 thousand wild boar this year.

Hunters are not against the auction. But not everyone can participate in it because it is... too expensive, hunter Alyaksandr confessed.

Alyaksandr: "The prices are high. An ordinary hunter cannot get a license and kill an elk or deer. This auction gives the opportunity."

You can even kill a European bison if you pay. And it is in the Red Book. But it will cost you much more - from 6 to 40 thousand euro. No European bison are auctioned this year.