Knowledge Base

Here you can find Pavel Pashkov’s answers to the most frequently asked questions.

What do we propose to solve the problem?How should we protect nature to achieve real change?They want to allow bears to be killed all winter during hibernationWhat threat has emerged for the reserves?Why am I against planting forests in "rows" and critical of modern reforestation?Can the shooting of bears provoke new encounters between animals and humans?Why do we need our online Earth observation station?The increase in quotas for bear hunting coincided with the expansion of the sports hunting industryHow do ancient forests affect the climate?Why bears and how is the register organized?Interactive map of the Territories of Full Ecological Tranquility (TFET)How is the area of Russia's intact forest landscapes changing?What is the Concept of Territories of Full Ecological Tranquility (TFET) and how does it differ from the existing global protected area system?How do roads affect the integrity of the taiga?What are Public Initiatives and how do they help protect nature?What are ancient forests?What is the 'Green Page' and why is it needed?How many bears are there in Russia overall?Is it necessary to write to government authorities if the responses are just formalities?What do studies say about fires and roads?Why don't petitions to protect wildlife work?What do we need to do to have a global impact on environmental issues?Why do bears approach humans, and is it related to pine nuts?Is it true that forests in Russia are only increasing?

They want to allow bears to be killed all winter during hibernation

We are categorically opposed to allowing winter hunting of bears during their hibernation! Such proposals have been repeatedly made in Russia, despite objections from scientists, bear specialists, and the conservation community. In 2020, the Ministry of Natural Resources extended the autumn hunting season for brown bears until 31 December. However, in much of Russia, bears already go into hibernation in October-November. In May 2024, the ministry proposed extending the hunting season for brown and Himalayan bears until the end of February, effectively covering the entire hibernation period! Such hunting is especially dangerous for females with offspring. Bear cubs are born in winter, directly in the dens. When driving the animal out, it is impossible to reliably determine in advance whether a female with newborn cubs is inside. Killing the mother during this period practically means the death of the entire offspring. For Himalayan bears, the destruction of hollow trees, where they make their winter shelters, poses an additional threat. In 2024, specialists and the public opposed the project. It received about 9,6 thousand negative evaluations and more than 700 comments on the federal portal of regulatory acts. After public discussion, the development of the project was stopped. But in September 2026, the Russian Hunting and Fishing Union again proposed extending the hunting season until 28 February and removing the brown bear from the list of animals whose hunting is regulated by quotas. Meanwhile, a representative of the association, A. A. Sitsko, directly admitted that no one knows the exact number of bears in Russia, and existing figures are subjective estimates! This creates an extremely dangerous situation: the reliable number of animals is not established, a unified scientifically based accounting system is absent, yet there is a proposal to expand hunting opportunities, including during the winter rest period. We consider such proposals unacceptable. Bears need the preservation of their natural habitat and scientifically based protection. Allowing additional hunting of animals during winter hibernation with existing uncertainty about their numbers is a decision we will consistently oppose.
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