Three-year ban on mountain goat hunting in Tuva

Prohibition of amateur, sport, or commercial hunting for three years was passed in Tuva: ungulates - in Pii-Khem district, Siberian goat (mountain goat) in Dzun-Khemchik, Sut-Khol, Chaa-khol and Ulug-Khem districts. All types of hunting of all game resources are prohibited for the same term in Kaa-Khem district in certain areas. The decision was made by the government of the republic on the initiative of the State Hunting and Fishing Commission. The goal of the new limits is to secure suitable conditions fro re-establishment of the animal populations. In the opinion of specialists,, even though the dynamics of the numbers of the animals in the republic is in general positive, some territories are experiencing great pressure from hunters, and a three-year "break" is necessary.

As the chief of the department of regulation and utilization of animal resources and water bio-resources of the State Commission, Andrei Chertov explained, the prohibition really concerns a relatively small territory, comprising about 10% of all the hunting zones of the republic.

The hunting zones of Pii-Khem district, bordering with Krasnoyarsk Krai, not far from the capital of the republic, hunting activities have left their mark. Data of a census confirmed the fears: in some places, the numbers of ungulates decreased, they are a whole degree lower than in other districts of the republic. And that means that a break is necessary. Similar situation exists with Siberian mountain goat in Sut-Khem, Dzun-Khemchik, Chaa-Khol and Ulug-Khem districts. Hunters are active there, especially on the Khemchik river, and the animals experience discomfort, which shows in their reproductive rate, and they recede further into the taiga. Scientists have also noticed this.

Beside that, the mountain goats are also food for the irbis; when their population drops, the food base of the irbis shrinks as well.

It needs to be noted that mountain goat hunting will still be possible in Mongun-Taiga, Ovyur, Tes-Khem and Tere-Khol districts.

In Kaa-Khem district, which is experiencing especially strong pressure not just from legal hunters but from poachers as well (this is where the most illegal hunters are arrested), hunting is completely forbidden on a limited territory. The border begins where river Kaa-Khem is transected by the administrative border of this district. From the starting point, the border goes north and north-east, to Todzha district; then it goes up to the Ondyg-Taiga mountain ridge, turns east, circling the Sailyg and Small Sailyg rivers, turns south, along the system of river Derzyg to its confluence with river Kaa-Khem. Then the border turns to the west and goes along the right bank of Kaa-Khem to the starting point. The major part of this territory is under the administration of Tuvan association of hunters and fishermen, which, during the past years, have not been involved in breeding the objects of animal world, or in any other biotechnical activities. It is not surprising that specialists noted a decrease in the numbers of animals. That is why the three-year hunting moratorium is a necessary measure.

As Andrei Chertov informed us, the prohibition does not concern hunting of wolves as regulatory measure, as well as hunting animals scientific reasons.