Ukraine ratified the Bern Convention back in 1996. However, some articles of national legislation contradict international nature conservation standards. In particular, the wolf population has been suffering for decades because of this inconsistency.
To protect animals and draw attention to the legal loophole, the Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center (KECC) sent a complaint about the Ministry of Economy and Environment to the Bern Convention Committee.
Inconsistency of animal protection standards
The standards of the Bern Convention and the Ukrainian law "On Hunting and Hunting Economy" are mutually exclusive.
The international document prohibits all forms of deliberate capture, detention, and destruction of animals, damage to breeding sites, and disturbance of wild animals. This applies in particular to the breeding, rearing, and wintering seasons. This is stated in Article 6 of the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats.
In contrast, the Ukrainian law "On Hunting and Hunting Economy" allows the extermination of wolves even for no reason, in parallel with the hunting of other animals. According to environmentalists from the KECC, no measures have been introduced to control or limit their numbers.
Consequences for wolves
According to environmentalists, there are no safeguards for the preservation of wolves in Ukraine. According to information from the Kyiv Ecological Center, hunters exterminated up to 50% of the population of these animals before the full-scale invasion.
Therefore, environmental activists accuse the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of inaction.
"The ministry is doing nothing to protect wolves in Ukraine, nor is it preparing or submitting to the Verkhovna Rada a bill to amend Article 33 of the Law of Ukraine "On Hunting and Hunting Economy" so that this article complies with the requirements of Article 6 of the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats," the KECC said in a statement.
Earlier, EcoPolitic reported that the US had weakened its environmental legislation, putting the survival of rare animal species at risk.
In contrast, the EU is even regulating the welfare of domestic animals by law.
