On April 11-12, hunting specialists of the county environmental departments will meet in Iisaku (Ida-Virumaa County) for discussing the future of Estonia's beaver population. According to Mr. Kaarel Roht, Chief Specialist on Hunting of the Forestry Department of the Ministry of the Environment, beaver expert Mr. Nikolai Laanetu who last year compiled the Management Plan for beaver protection and management will also participate in the two-day meeting. Together with the hunting specialists, ways and activities for implementation of the Management Plan will be discussed. The aim of the Management Plan is maintaining of a sound beaver population whose activity would improve the state of ecosystems of the water bodies and their banks as well as would enable the hunting of the species as game animal. According to Mr. Roht, the obtaining of a reliable overview of the beaver population size is a precondition for management activities. "In the opinion of hunters, the number of beavers in Estonia amounts to some 14 thousand, however, we would need to know their numbers and distribution according to counties as well. Only then can management activities be initiated," said Roht. One of the discussion topics at the meeting is how fresh beaver damage can be detected and registered systematically in all counties. Beaver is found in all counties in Estonia, a few specimen have even been recorded in the islands of Saaremaa (Ösel) and Hiiumaa (Dagö). According to the Management Plan, inventory of beaver habitats is a high priority action. Among other important activites, conducting of land surveys and development of management plans for hunting areas should be mentioned as well as regular beaver counts and the organization of hunting in a way that would enable the maintaining of beaver population within its optimum limits and beaver damage within acceptable limits. Currently beaver hunting is allowed from August 1 to March 15. According to Roht, the hunting season could be extended to April 15 in areas with frequently encountered beaver damage. In 2000, over 2000 beavers were hunted in Estonia. Hunting data concerning 2001 will be available by mid-April. In order not to cause risk to the survival of the beaver population through over-hunting, the management of the species is regulated under species protection requirements. Additional information Mr. Kaarel Roht, Chief Specialist, Forestry Department Telephone: (+372) 626 2933, (+372) 51-53669 |
