---
title: "Hunting reform in Ukraine: new law, digitalization and protests by animal rights activists"
description: "Bill No. 15431 on hunting reform has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada. The document proposes digitalization, a unified registry, and new quotas, but has provoked fierce protests from animal rights activists who called it \"legalized violence\". 🦌🚫📄"
date: 2026-07-28T11:38:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/hunting-reform-in-ukraine-new-law-and-protests-by-animal-rights-activists
tags: [ukraine, verkhovna-rada, hunting-reform, uanimals, legislation]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Hunting reform in Ukraine: new law, digitalization and protests by animal rights activists

![A group of hunters with rifles and in camouflage walking through the forest, illustrating the topic of hunting reform in Ukraine](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/28/ohotnichya-reforma-v-ukraine-novyj-zakon-i-protesty-zoozashhitnikov/ohotnichya-reforma-v-ukraine-novyj-zakon-i-protesty-zoozashhitnikov-1.webp)

A large-scale bill has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which could radically change the rules of the game in the hunting sector. The document, numbered 15431, is aimed at creating a modern legal and economic model for managing natural resources, but has already provoked a sharp reaction from ecologists and animal rights activists at the start.

### Digitalization and new rules

The initiative was put forward by a group of more than 40 people's deputies, including Igor Marchuk, David Arakhamia, and Alexander Kornienko. In the explanatory note, the authors argue for the need for changes, stating that the current 2000 law has "practically exhausted its regulatory potential".

The key innovation will be the creation of a Unified Hunting Registry. The system will include data on land users, licenses, and quotas. Most administrative procedures are planned to be transferred to electronic format: permits will be issued online, and paper documents will be abolished.

To combat poaching and ensure product traceability, it is proposed to introduce mandatory marking of certain types of hunted animals using individual identification means. The bill also provides for abandoning centralized annual hunting quotas in favor of sustainable use plans developed based on scientific research.

### Economic incentives and management

The document lays down mechanisms for transparent competitive selection of hunting land users. The authority to allocate plots for use is transferred to local state administrations. The authors promise that implementing the project will require funding, but expect an increase in budget revenues due to transparency and digitalization.

Special attention is paid to strengthening liability for violating hunting rules and improving the mechanism for compensating damage. In addition, additional legal and social guarantees are proposed for game wardens and hunting inspectors.

### Explosive protest from ecologists

The public reaction did not keep itself waiting. The animal and environmental protection organization UAnimals called the initiative an "expansion of the boundaries of legalized violence". The organization claims that under the guise of "hunting tourism" and "public good" lies the desire for private profit at the expense of animal lives.

"Hunting is not active recreation, but just ordinary killing for entertainment and profit," UAnimals stated. Animal rights activists are calling on deputies to reject the bill and are urging citizens not to remain silent by spreading information about the document.

The criticism was also supported by the Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center (KECC), which published a detailed analysis of the arguments against it. Experts point to controversial formulations, such as the introduction of the concept of "hunting tourism" and the possibility of obtaining land by public associations with the status of a legal entity.