LMŽD warns against proposed hunting law changes in Lithuania

The Lithuanian Hunters and Fishers Association (LMŽD) has issued a warning regarding proposed amendments to the Hunting Law currently under consideration by the Seimas Environmental Protection Committee. The proposal, submitted by the Lithuanian Aquaculture Producers Association, seeks to allow the hunting of all non-limited game animals within the territories of fishery ponds.

While hunting of wild boar is currently permitted year-round in these areas, the amendment would expand hunting rights to include other non-limited cervids, such as red deer, roe deer, and fallow deer. LMŽD Director Laimonas Daukša stated that while fishery farm issues require solutions, creating exceptions for specific economic interests could fundamentally alter hunting principles and harm wildlife protection and population management.

The association has submitted formal comments to both the Environmental Protection Committee and the Ministry of Environment, arguing that wildlife is a state asset that must be managed based on science and responsibility rather than individual industry interests.