Reactions from NGOs to the hunting tender in Bursa.

In Bursa, NGOs reacted to the tender issued by the Nature Conservation and National Parks 2nd Regional Directorate for the hunting of 38 red deer and hundreds of mountain goats.

The Nature Conservation and National Parks 2nd Regional Directorate opened a tender for the hunting of 38 red deer and hundreds of mountain goats across Turkey, including 3 in Bursa, between September 1, 2024, and February 28, 2025. DOĞADER, Bursa Bar Association, Bursa Veterinarians Chamber, Bursa City Council Animal Rights Working Group, Osmangazi City Council, Nilüfer City Council, and Karacabey City Council held a protest in front of the Nature Conservation and National Parks 2nd Regional Directorate.

“Hunting is not a sport; it is murder”

Sedat Güler, a board member of DOĞADER, stated that the duty of Nature Conservation and National Parks Directorates is to protect nature, not to encourage hunting. He said, “According to the latest data released by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), since 1970, the global wildlife population has decreased by 70%. Only 4% of all animals are wild animals. In every country in the world, measures to protect wildlife have increased, but in our country, illegal hunting is increasing uncontrollably, and conservation measures are very insufficient. Moreover, with the increase in the number and size of forest fires in our country in recent years, the number of wildlife that is burned and destroyed along with our trees is something no one knows or sees. At the same time, the effects of the threats posed by climate change on wildlife are increasing, and issues like drought not only eliminate the habitats where wild animals can live but also create stress on wildlife, potentially leading to the resistance and spread of infectious diseases. Despite this frightening situation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Turkey, through the Nature Conservation and National Parks Directorate, is facilitating the massacre of wildlife by collecting money from hunters and hunting tourism companies through tenders and lotteries. The state institution that should protect wildlife is being turned into a subcontractor of hunting tourism. Recently, with the wild animal hunting tender opened by the Nature Conservation and National Parks Directorate, a total of 38 red deer will be slaughtered across the country, including 3 from Bursa and Bilecik, between September 1, 2024, and February 29, 2025. Additionally, hundreds of wild goats trying to survive in our forests and mountains are also on the death list. This massacre tender must be stopped and canceled immediately. The duty of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s Nature Conservation and National Parks Directorate is to ensure the continuation of the natural life cycle of wildlife and to protect vulnerable wildlife. Living is a right; hunting is murder.”