News
The Department of Environmental Supervision Identified 1,069 Violations in the First Two Months of the Hunting Season
Employees of the Department of Environmental Supervision of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture identified 1,069 violations during the first two months of the hunting season, from August 22 to October 22, 2026.
The highest number of violations - 331 cases - was recorded in the Imereti region. A further 233 violations were identified within the operational area of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Regional Division, 148 in Guria, 98 in Shida Kartli, 68 in Samtskhe-Javakheti, 55 in Kvemo Kartli, 53 in Adjara, 51 in Mtskheta-Mtianeti, and 22 in Kakheti.
Violations were also recorded in the capital. In the first two months of the hunting season, 10 cases of hunting regulation violations were identified in Tbilisi.
Of the identified violations, 927 involved hunting using prohibited weapons, methods, or means. In 60 cases, individuals hunted migratory birds without paying the required fee for removing them from the wild. In 50 cases, hunters violated hunting regulations, while in 32 cases, individuals hunted within municipal boundaries.
Within the first two months of the hunting season, Department officers seized 909 illegal devices, including electronic bird-call devices, used to attract birds.
From August 22 to October 22, 2026, a total of 70 illegally harvested wild birds and animals were recorded. Poachers illegally hunted 64 quails, as well as one partridge, one hoopoe, one honey buzzard, and one pheasant. Cases of hare and jackal hunting were also recorded during the migratory bird hunting season.
The patrol crews of the Department of Environmental Supervision conduct continuous 24-hour monitoring nationwide to ensure the timely prevention, detection, and suppression of poaching and other environmental violations. In addition, they provide immediate responses to all reports received through the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture’s hotline (153).
