The red Book through the myth-making to the law

EDITOR’s NOTE: There has never been such a massive attack on Russian hunting. The most common gray goose, gray duck, turtledove, and similar birds are “driven” into the forbidden list. Eight of the eleven species of geese in our fauna will adorn the Red book of Russia. This is a success, this is a gift to hunters In the year of ecology! All counterarguments and calls to think about the consequences go like sand – on February 17, 2017, the Bureau of the Commission on endangered species under the Ministry of natural Resources of Russia triumphantly reported on the final approval of candidate species. The day and hour of signing the order with an expanded list of strictly protected species is approaching. We do not know how to manage the resources of birds and will never learn, and therefore we are moving to total bans! Yes, the pendulum is now in the anti-hunting zone, but it will swing the other way someday.

When in October 2016 my article “in captivity of red book” myths “was published in the” HORN” with objections to the inclusion in the new edition of the red book of the Russian Federation (which means – the ban on production) of the gray goose, Hummingbird, gray duck, killer whale, kloktun, big and small spindles and turtledove, I could not imagine that all attempts to convince opponents would be useless.

Recall that the list of birds was developed by a Section of experts, consisting mainly of employees of the Moscow IPEE RAS and the research Institute “Ecology” and headed by E. E. Syroechkovsky; hunting specialists were not involved.

At the beginning of 2017, the section of experts on birds received “Responses to critical comments on specific taxa from the list of species listed in the Red book of the Russian Federation” – a document that the Section prepared in response to a barrage of criticism.

These “Answers” turned out to be unsubscriptions, which did not suit us at all. The myths we wrote about earlier are rapidly materializing in the new red book with all its consequences.

By the decision Of the Bureau of the Commission on endangered species, the discussion is closed, and they are no longer interested in our arguments. However, the topic remains relevant, and the public will be interested to see the details of the dispute that we had with the authors of the notorious list.

So EXPERTS SECTION the arguments in favor of the disappearance of birds and recording them in the Red book of Russia, and we (TSENTROKHOTKONTROL) mind.

GREY GOOSE ANSER ANSER

THE EXPERTS SECTION.

1) the Successful status of the species is ensured by the thriving Western subspecies in European countries, in most of which hunting for grey goose is prohibited. In Russia, it disappears everywhere. In the European part since the 1990s, the number has decreased more than twice and is estimated at 20-25 thousand pairs; in the South of Russia, it has decreased several times. At wintering sites in the countries of the black Sea-Azov basin, the number is also falling.

2) the reduction in numbers is due to the pressure of hunting geese.

Read the material “in captivity” red book ” myths”

3) a Negative trend was registered in the North. Kazakhstan and the West. Siberians. Numbers at wintering sites in China, India, Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and the South. The market is shrinking.

4) the Hunter can easily distinguish the gray goose from those allowed for shooting, for example, the Hummingbird or white-browed goose by its large size and light color, pink paws and beak. Piskulka (a smaller copy of the white-fronted goose) has long been in the red book, and no problems arise.

CENTROKHOTKONTROL.

The international status of the species (“non-concern”) is the same as that of the grey crow. Grey goose is actively mined in 25 EU countries, including Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and other countries.

There is no data on negative trends in populations. 20-25 thousand pairs (obviously an underestimate) turn into at least 80-100 thousand individuals by the opening of the autumn hunt in the South of Europe. Russia, which is sufficient for regulated use.

We do not know the data of the accounts that indicate a multiple reduction in the number of people in the South of Russia. On the contrary, the Azov-black sea population is growing. Autumn hunting meets European standards. Moreover, at wintering sites in Europe (Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania), goose hunting continues in January and even in February, while in Russia (including Crimea) – until December 31.

Evidence of a negative trend in Zap. Siberia and the North. Kazakhstan is missing, as well as data on reductions in wintering in China, India, Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan and the South. Kazakhstani. In Kazakhstan, the grey goose is a common object of autumn hunting.

Indeed, piskulka has been in the red book for more than 30 years, and this has not led to its restoration.

The Squeaker continues to be shot by mistake, which confirms the futility of the ban on species similar to hunting objects. As for the differences between the gray goose and other geese, the hunter does not have the opportunity to look through binoculars, and then in the bird finder before shooting. Therefore, it is inevitable that most hunters in the South will turn into vicious poachers because of the gray goose, gray duck, and other common game species.

Protection of exploited species should begin not with total prohibitions and provoking conflicts, but with the development of management plans that take into account the interests and rights of hunters to their natural resources.

BEAN GOOSE ANSER FABALIS.

SUBSPECIES: THE FOREST, THE SIBERIAN TAIGA, EASTERN TUNDRA

THE EXPERTS SECTION

1) the Number of forest hummingbirds in Russia is from 12.5 to 17.5 thousand pairs (at the same time in the Zap. Total number-1500 pairs). The total number of forest subspecies is less than 45 thousand individuals, i.e. it has decreased by more than 80% over the past 20 years and continues to decline. Eastern tundra bean goose – from 20 thousand to 37.5 thousand couples, taiga bean – from 3.3 to 8.8 thousand thousand pairs. Management and protection of the forest Hummingbird subspecies should be carried out in accordance with the European action Plan.

2) the Number in Siberia is decreasing due to hunting and poaching in Russia.

3) Forest gumennik is already listed in a number of regional red books, and hunters have no problems distinguishing subspecies, demonstrating the possibility of protecting forest gumennik and mining tundra. Solve the problem of the return of the hunting. But where the flight paths of different subspecies overlap, it is necessary to prohibit hunting both rare and numerous.

CENTROKHOTKONTROL.

The figure is 1.5 thousand pairs for the entire Country. Siberia requires proof. Also, taking into account the fact that the wintering of forest and tundra gumennik in Europe overlap, and they do not differ in appearance, a significant under-accounting of forest gumennik is possible (it can be taken for tundra). By now, the number of forest hummingbirds (50-70 thousand) could have decreased by no more than 50% (from 100 thousand at the end of the twentieth century), and not by 80%.

The action plan for the subspecies does not contain requirements for banning hunting, but only calls for the development of a usage scheme that takes into account the interests of hunters. The negative impact of hunting is an unproven assumption.

The reasons for the decline in the number of migrating birds lie outside of Russia, especially – wintering in China. In addition to habitat degradation and poaching, China has virtually no mid-winter records, which are the main sources of data for estimating population sizes.

Therefore, the ban on the production of humenniks in Russia will not lead to an increase in their number, but will deprive tens of thousands of hunters of the opportunity to hunt geese. Adding a separate subspecies of the bean goose in the regional red book was ill-conceived, as in flight to distinguish different subspecies impossible. Our opponents recommend banning the extraction of all gumennikov where their migration routes may coincide, and this is the entire North-West and part of the center of Europe. Of Russia.

The MK editorial office hosted a round table on topical issues of wildlife protection and the use of biological Sciences. Well-known scientific and political figures took part in the discussion.

Thus, given the inclusion in the Red book of the Asian subspecies, hunting gumennikova in Russia will be inaccessible. We consider it completely unjustified to ban hunting for this species, whose status (“not causing concern”) is similar to that of the Mallard, for example, and allows its use.

GREY DUCK ANAS STREPERA

THE EXPERTS SECTION.

Evidence that the grey duck is a common species in southern Russia is outdated. In fact, there is a strong decline in numbers everywhere. Evidence is a decrease in the percentage of duck populations in the Volgograd region, Kalmykia, Transbaikalia, the Volga Delta, and hunters ‘ prey.

The concerns of hunting industry experts about the difficulty in identifying hunters are unfounded – the gray duck is reliably determined in the field “by the color of the mirror on the wing”.

CENTROKHOTKONTROL.

It is possible that the decrease in the share of grey duck in the population and in production is not due to the disappearance of the species, but to an increase in the number of other species, such as Mallard. In addition, outdated information on the Volga Delta (before 1980) was used to prove the negative trend.

According to our data, the share of grey duck in production in the Astrakhan region for the autumn period of 2015 was 24% – on the 2nd place after Mallard (42%). Experts do not mention the South of the TRANS-Urals and Zap. Siberia, where the grey duck is a numerous species. The international status of the species is “not causing concern”, the same as, for example, in the house Sparrow. The conclusion about the disappearance and the need to be listed in the Federal Red book is completely unfounded.

The socio-economic consequences of being listed in the Red list will be disastrous. Since species characteristics are weakly visible, especially in young birds that have not completed molting, mass unintentional shooting of the gray duck is inevitable for the opening of the autumn hunt.

Hunting will be a severe test, which for tens of thousands of our citizens will end with a large fine or imprisonment. Ensuring the” red book ” status of the gray duck is not feasible without a complete ban on the production of all types of ducks. Perhaps this is what our opponents are trying to achieve.

THE EXPERTS SECTION.