Ancient hunting tools, trophies, and hunting regulations are presented at an exhibition in the Vitebsk Town Hall
The exposition, organized for the first time and featuring hunting rifles and trophies, documents, and archival photographs related to the society's activities, has generated genuine interest.
The opening of the exhibition was timed to coincide with the day of St. Tryphon, the patron saint of fishermen and hunters, which is celebrated on February 14.
By the way, this saint has been revered since time immemorial; in the 15th century, his image, alongside St. George the Victorious, even appeared on the coat of arms of Moscow.
The central exhibit of the exhibition is a small booklet kept in the State Archive of the Vitebsk Region. This is the very Charter from which the chronicle of the hunters' and fishermen's society begins.
Although the exposition includes older items, such as French and Swedish rifles from the 19th century used by our ancestors for hunting, it also showcases trophies that received gold and silver medals at exhibitions organized by the Belarusian Hunters' and Fishermen's Society.
Sergey Rednenko, Chairman of the regional organizational structure of the BHFS, noted that over the past century, the main provisions of the 1919 Charter have not lost their relevance, particularly concerning the protection of hunting grounds, adherence to safety regulations, etc.
– Uninformed people do not realize that our society is dedicated to nature conservation. It fosters a careful attitude towards forest and water resources among hunters and fishermen, promotes the rational use of natural resources, pays attention to the protection of wild animals, birds, and fish, regulates their populations, and combats poaching – explained Sergey Valentinovich, providing compelling facts to support his statement.
For instance, the stocking of reservoirs is exclusively carried out by the BHFS, with a lion's share of funds from membership fees paid by amateur fishermen allocated for this purpose.
Over the past three years, more than 19 tons of fry have been released into the rivers and lakes of the Vitebsk region. 400 kg of sterlet have been stocked in the Dnieper River near Dubrovno, the population of which was affected by an ecological disaster in the upper reaches of the river in the Smolensk region.
The regional organizational structure of the Belarusian Society of Hunters and Fishermen (BSHF) has made a significant contribution to increasing the population of red deer. Over three years, 300 individuals have been introduced into hunting grounds, and six new micro-populations of these animals have been created in the Verkhnedvinsk, Chashniksky, Gluboksky, Postavsky, Sharkovshchinsky, and Ushachsky districts.
Approximately one thousand hunters from all over the world visit the Vitebsk region annually.
The society earns over 400 thousand from foreigners, the majority of which is allocated to the protection and replenishment of natural resources.
Currently, about 15 thousand residents of the region hold hunter and fisherman licenses. Sergey Rednenko recounts how he received a beating from his father for hunting in the third grade, and he also remembers his first hazel grouse, which he whistled out himself.
The head of the regional BSHF structure also commented on the situation with wolves, which are said to be terrorizing residents of some settlements. According to him, the situation is greatly exaggerated.
Since the beginning of this year, hunters have shot 70 animals. One of the hides was presented by hunters to the regional local history museum on the opening day of the exhibition, and it will now be added to the nature hall, in the organization of which members of the Belarusian Society of Hunters and Fishermen also participated.
