Knowledge Base

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

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?What do we propose to solve the problem?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?Interactive map of the Territories of Full Ecological Tranquility (TFET)How is the area of Russia's intact forest landscapes changing?Why bears and how is the register organized?What are ancient forests?What are Public Initiatives and how do they help protect nature?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 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?Why don't petitions to protect wildlife work?What do studies say about fires and roads?How can an ordinary person help wildlife?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?

The increase in quotas for bear hunting coincided with the expansion of the sports hunting industry

According to our independent register, the scale of permitted bear hunting in Russia has approximately doubled over the past seven years! In the 2019/2020 season, around 25,9 animals were allowed to be hunted, while for the 2026/2027 season, quotas have been set for 52 074 bears. This represents an increase of approximately 101%. Notably, since 2022, the permitted hunting volumes have increased each season, reaching new highs. Simultaneously, commercial hunting enterprises are actively developing in Russia. According to Roslesinforg, almost 36 million hectares of forests have been leased for private hunting enterprises. This is about one-third of the forests available for such leasing. There are about 1 300 private lessees operating in the country, and paid hunting tourism is developing. The bear is one of the most expensive trophy hunting targets. In Russia, there are about 5 million registered hunting license holders. In recent years, legislation has consistently expanded the opportunities for the hunting industry, with the development of paid services and changes in the rules and timing of animal hunting. State policy aims to increase the investment attractiveness of the hunting industry, as stated openly. We believe it is necessary to investigate the economic interest of the hunting industry in increasing the permitted volumes of bear hunting. The more the paid hunting market develops, the more important independent oversight of the justification for regional quotas becomes. Especially considering that the accurate population of brown bears in Russia has not yet been established! Official and expert estimates differ by hundreds of thousands of animals, and there is no unified standardized accounting system. Under such circumstances, the increase in hunting scales raises serious questions about the scientific justification of the decisions made. This is why we are creating a unified quota register, so that society can see the real scale of permitted bear hunting in Russia. We will compare these data with the state of ancient forests, the scale of fires, logging, and the destruction of the natural habitat of animals.
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