The situation and prospects for domestic game husbandry

Fábián, Gyula – Rácz Fodor, Gábor – Kelemen, József

Keywords: stock of game, game husbandry, development, game tourism, habitat management

The operational parameters and hunting regulations of Hungarian game husbandry can be found in the LV. law of 1996, concerning game protection, game husbandry and hunting. This law combines Hungarian traditions with international trends and obligations arising from international agreements, in accord with the laws on nature preservation (LIII/1996) and on forestry (LIV/1996). The legal regulation of Hungarian game husbandry and hunting is harmonised at both legislative and decree level with similar regulations in EU member states.
According to the law on hunting, game is State property and hunting rights are determined as part and parcel of land ownership.
The law on hunting emphasises game protection and durable utilisation, in other words, it serves game husbandry.
Game husbandry as a sector has the potential for long-term, success in Hungary if coupled with appropriate professional expertise and management. On lands being converted from traditional crop cultivation, game husbandry may – as one alternative method of land use – become a commodity-producing sector, guaranteeing surplus receipts.

A significant proportion of income from game husbandry comes from foreign and domestic rental hunters. The foreign guests (20-22,000 hunters) come primarily from EU member states.
A significant proportion of Hungarian animal husbandry’s current annual return of HUF 14 billion comes from these rental hunters, although in the meantime a domestic circle of well-off guest hunters is also developing and growing significantly. Maintaining the market image of the sector is of vital importance to its operation and future development.
Hunting and tourism may provide significant income streams in areas no longer useful for agricultural cultivation. Services linked to hunting (accommodation, hospitality), are continuously developing.

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