Croatian Chamber of Agriculture seeks protections in new Hunting Law

The Croatian Chamber of Agriculture (HPK) is calling on the Croatian Government, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and the Croatian Parliament to implement specific protections in the new Hunting Law. The organization seeks a clear separation of responsibilities to ensure that the costs of inadequate wildlife management are not transferred to farmers.

HPK President Željko Mihelić stated that the initiative is not a conflict with hunters, but a fight for the right of farmers to produce food on their land. He argued that farmers should not be expected to simultaneously act as food producers, parcel guards, fence maintainers, and financiers of wildlife protection. The Chamber emphasizes that while farmers control how they cultivate their land, they do not control wildlife populations.

The HPK has outlined five key demands, including the necessity of protecting agricultural production from wildlife management issues and ensuring that the process for determining damages is fast, transparent, professional, and impartial.