Fishing is an ancient practice: the diverse fish fauna of the world’s waters has been a valuable source of food for humans for thousands of years There are over 30,000 species of fish in the world. There are 91 fish species registered in Estonian waters, most of which are freshwater fish, semi-migratory fish (e.g. vimba, ide), or migratory fish (salmon, brown trout, eel). There are about 30...

In 2013, Estonia was officially declared a rabies-free country Many game-borne diseases also threaten domestic animals. The best known of these are rabies, African swine fever, avian influenza, echinococcosis, and scabies. Rabies Rabies is a viral disease that is incurable and always fatal. The incubation period of the disease can be from a few weeks to a few years, and the virus remains viable...

The primary purpose of hunting is no longer to stockpile meat and hides Wild game is a wild animal – a mammal or bird that lives freely in the wild. Game is a wild game whose meat, hide, or other parts are consumed and whose hunting is permitted by hunting rules [1]. The current Hunting Act, in turn, divides game into big and small game. Big game includes the moose, red deer, roe deer, wild boar...

Science-based and sustainable hunting is one of the tools for maintaining the biodiversity and ecological balance of ecosystems Today, hunting is not just a method of food supply or entertainment, but an important measure of environmental management. It aims to keep game numbers within reasonable limits that are acceptable to humans, but hunting is also necessary to prevent and control outbreaks...

The main framework document for Estonian hunting is the Hunting Act Hunting allows to regulate animal abundance, ensure species diversity, the viability of populations, and hunting productivity, and prevent extensive damage to forestry and other economic activities (e.g. agriculture). The main framework document for Estonian hunting is the Hunting Act, which provides for the creation and use of...

Science-based, sustainable forest management can ensure that the economic, social, and ecological objectives of the forests are met Sustainable forestry takes into account four aspects – economic, social, ecological, and cultural considerations. Sustainable forestry refers to the management of forests in such a way as to ensure their biodiversity, productivity, regenerative capacity, viability...

Everywhere in the Estonian state forest, a felling peace is in force from mid-April to mid-June Sustainable forest management means growing, using, managing, and protecting forests in such a way as to ensure biodiversity, forest productivity, regeneration and viability, and the possibility of diversified forest use that meets ecological, economic, social, and cultural needs. Biodiversity is one of...

Biodiversity conservation also supports agriculture, forestry, and fishery Human activity has shaped the biodiversity in Europe for more than 5,000 years, since agriculture and animal husbandry first became widespread. However, the agricultural and industrial revolutions of the last 150 years have led to sharp and rapid changes in land use, agriculture, and urbanisation. As a result, we are...

As at 31 December 2024, there were a total of 4506 protected natural objects in Estonia. That is 51 objects more than in the previous year. In the following, the difference in the number of objects compared to 2023 is shown in brackets. The more detailed breakdown by type is as follows: nature reserves – 242 (no change ↔); landscape protection areas – 150 (no change ↔); national parks – 6 (no...

As at 31 December 2024, a total of 23,4% of Estonia’s area, including both land and waters, is under protection The area of protected areas in Estonia increased significantly in 2004, when the Natura 2000 network was established. As a result, the share of protected areas increased from 11% to 17% of land and then continued to increase gradually. The area of protected areas in the territorial sea...