A bill by the Ministry of the Interior provides for an increase in hunting licenses by €43, while at the same time an additional increase of 5% is provided for every four years. With the bill already put to public consultation, the thousands of hunters have to dig deep into their pockets if they want to obtain a new hunting license, provided that the bill is approved by the Parliament, when it will be sent for discussion.
As foreseen, the bill amends the Protection and Management of Wild Birds and Game laws of 2003 – 2021, in order to revise the fees paid by hunters.
According to the changes, for the regular hunting license, i.e. for hunters aged 18 – 65, the fees are increased from €77 to €120. Also for hunters, aged 65 – 80, the fee is increased from €43 to €65. With another provision of the bill, the fee paid for the regular hunting license will be increased by 5% every four years, from August 1 of the year in which four years have passed since the date of its last adjustment. For hunters aged 80 and over, the issuance of a hunting license is granted free of charge.
As reported to us in "F", the increase was deemed necessary because for 21 years the fees for obtaining a license from hunters have remained the same, since the current fees have been applied since 2005. It is expected that the proceeds from the hunting licenses will be allocated by the Game and Fauna Service, for the development of the game and the protection of wildlife and the environment. It is noted that last year 37,000 persons obtained new or renewed their hunting license. However, the trend for outdoor activities such as hunting is downward, since each time fewer people renew their hunting licenses. The reduced prey and the weather conditions also contribute to this.
