At yesterday’s extraordinary session of environmental committee over Hunting Act bill, Riigikogu was stirred by the presence of a weapon.
In pictures: bowhunters bring weapon to parliament
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Right in Toompea Castle’s meeting room, hunting instructor Riho Alep (in the foreground) of bowhunters’ club Mägilased i.e. Highlanders and Rita-Anette Kohava, vice president of European Bowhunting Federation (behind him), unpacked a compound bow and laid the arrows on the table – in order to propagate a supplementary proposal into the Hunting Act, legalizing bowhunting of small wild game in Estonia. At their estimation, bowhunting would help keep the small game numbers in check, also being noiseless and safer than firearms.
In other countries, including Finland, legalized bowhunting is practiced by 4 million people. Curiously, bowhunting rights may prove to be one of the likeliest supplements to the controversial Hunting Act – being already favored by owners of private land as well as hunting societies. The decision, on which motions make it into the Act, will be taken by environmental committee in weeks to come.