Go

Let’s say NO to the changes in the Hunting and Game Protection Act and the prolonging of the waterfowl birds hunting season!

To:

The President of the Republic of Bulgaria
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria
The Chairman of the Parliament of the Republic of Bulgaria
The Chairman of the State Forest Agency
The Agriculture and Forest Commission of the Parliament of the Republic of Bulgaria
The Commission on Environment and Water of the Parliament of the Republic of Bulgaria
The Anticorruption Commission of the Parliament of the Republic of Bulgaria
The Commission on Prevention and Combating Corruption at the Council of Ministers
The Prosecutor General of the Republic of Bulgaria
The Parliament Members of the Parliament of the Republic of Bulgaria

The European Commission
The GD Environment of the European Commission



Dear Ladies and Gentleman,

I am seriously concerned that the draft bill containing changes to the Hunting and Game Protection Act, which has been developed with a complete lack of transparency and without public participation of any kind, violates the established principles of sustainable use of game resources, resulting in an environment of corruption and non-democratic practices.

I urge most strongly that the Bulgarian Parliament returns this bill to the responsible Commission for revision!

I also strongly recommend that a new bill is drafted by a task force consisting of experts representing all stakeholders and in line with the principle of absolute transparency. A bill drafted by such a group should, in my opinion, exclude the abuses contained in the present draft:

1. Extension of the hunting season for waterfowl from January 31st to February 29th. This extension represents a serious breach of the EU Birds Directive, the national Biodiversity Act, as well as of the Bern and Bonn Conventions ratified by the Republic of Bulgaria;
2. Hidden privatisation of the state game breeding stations in the form of concluding contracts for joint management and the unprofitable leasing of the state hunting grounds;
3. Providing exclusive rights to a single hunting organization, placing it over and above all other hunting and nature conservation organizations working for the protection and management of the Bulgarian wildlife, in complete contradiction to the principles of democracy and non-discrimination.

I am writing to urge you to actively support the drafting of a satisfactory and modern-day Hunting Act that meets the expectations and wishes of the majority of the Bulgarian people.

With all my respect, I remain

Yours sincerely,