The expert council on nature reserves has approached the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources with a request to clarify and consolidate the rules governing the shooting and capturing of animals within specially protected natural areas (SPNA). These areas include nature reserves, hunting reserves, and national parks. The appeal, reported by the newspaper News, highlights the need for clear guidance in how wildlife is managed in these zones.
Regulatory actions in SPNA are necessary to safeguard species populations and protect ecological balance. The council emphasizes that any intervention must be grounded in solid science and informed by ongoing ecological monitoring. The overarching goal is to ensure that management measures support biodiversity without causing unintended harm to habitats or other species that share those landscapes.
Decisions about regulating animal numbers may involve capturing or, in some cases, shooting. The document’s authors stress that such measures should be exceptional and applied only in specific circumstances. For instance, when a species’ population grows beyond sustainable thresholds and threatens the integrity of protected natural complexes, controlled culling or removal may be considered as a last resort.
According to the council, the history of native nature reserve management over the last five decades includes several attempts that were poorly conceived or inadequately implemented. These missteps illustrate the dangers of ad hoc regulatory actions and underscore the need for a coherent framework grounded in science and careful risk assessment.
The authors argue that future decisions in this area require meticulous risk analysis to prevent adverse ecological impacts, reduce opportunities for corruption and illegal hunting, and maintain public trust in local environmental governance. They call for the drafting and adoption of a formal legal act that would regulate how and when measures to adjust wildlife numbers are organized and carried out across national parks and reserves.
In parallel, activists have drawn attention to concerns about large-scale disappearances of stray animals in various regions, suggesting broader welfare and population-management challenges. The issue has been linked to a range of local pressures, including urban encroachment and changes in land use, which can affect animal availability and survival rates in protected areas.
Earlier reports described incidents in which two village officials in the Ryazan region faced accusations related to poisoning dogs, highlighting ongoing tensions around animal control and the enforcement of welfare standards. These events add to the context in which policy discussions about SPNA governance continue to unfold, underscoring the need for transparent procedures and accountable oversight that align with national conservation objectives.