"It's money-making and bacchanalia": a conflict over hunting grounds erupts in Mykolaiv regional council

At a session of the Mykolaiv Regional Council, deputies supported the decision to terminate the right to use more than 30,000 hectares of hunting grounds. The consideration of the issue was accompanied by a heated debate, accusations of non-transparency and comments on deputy ethics.

The relevant decision was made at the session of the Mykolaiv Regional Council.

It was about the termination of the right to use hunting grounds by the enterprise of the association of citizens "Yelanets hunting and fishing farm" of the Yelanets district organization "Hunter and fisherman".

According to Zhanna Krynytska, head of the hunting, hunting and recreation department of the Southern Interregional Forestry and Hunting Administration, the remaining hunting grounds with a total area of more than 30,000 hectares are being affected.

The reason for this decision was the inability to ensure the proper level of hunting management by the user.

However, the discussion turned out to be tense. MP Anatoliy Nikolenko questioned the very approach to hunting grounds management and expressed indignation at such decisions.

"Why do you provide hunting grounds if people can't cope?" the deputy addressed the audience, saying that the problem needs to be reviewed more broadly not only at the regional but also at the national level.

In his emotional speech, he also criticized the system of land use, calling it "money-making" and "bacchanalia," and called for making the processes as transparent as possible.

In response, Anton Tabunshchyk, chairman of the regional council, said that during the plenary session, the deputy should adhere to the norms of deputy ethics, use verified information and not mislead colleagues and the public.

After the remark, Nikolenko was given a second warning. The chairman of the regional council even stated that in case of further violation of the rules of conduct, he could put to a vote the issue of removing the deputy from the session hall.

It was emphasized that in this case, it was not a question of transferring or providing new hunting grounds, but only of terminating the right to use the existing business entity. The deputies were also urged to read more carefully the materials that were sent out in advance and available in the electronic system.

As a result of the voting, the decision was supported by 39 deputies, while one deputy opposed it. Thus, the regional council officially terminated the right to use the hunting grounds of the said enterprise.

Last year, members of the regional council decided to transfer the hunting grounds to Volodymyrivka Hunters LLC for 15 years.

Анна Бальчінос