The Croatian Parliament has passed amendments to the Hunting Act, which were adopted with 78 votes in favour and 43 against. The new provisions change the method for determining and compensating for wildlife damage, introduce a priority for domestic hunting associations in leasing hunting grounds, and increase the share of revenue allocated to counties.
Under the amendments, individual assessment of the circumstances causing damage is permitted, taking into account the victim's own contribution to the damage, which may affect the amount of compensation. In certain cases, the compensation amount may be reduced. Permanent county committees will be responsible for assessing damage and must submit their findings to the farmer and the hunting rights holder within 15 days of the assessment being carried out. Agriculture Minister David Vlajčić stated that efforts are being made to ensure farmers' right to compensation.
The amendments introduce a priority for local hunting associations in the allocation of hunting grounds for lease, aiming to ensure continuity in the management of hunting grounds for hunters operating in a specific area. The lease duration is extended from the previous ten years to 20 years, and the minimum area of a private hunting ground is increased from 500 to 1,000 hectares.
The new law also changes the distribution of revenue. Counties will henceforth receive 50 per cent of the revenue, instead of the previous 10 per cent, the Ministry of Agriculture 10 per cent, the Ministry of Finance 30 per cent, and landowners 10 per cent.
The legislative amendments also regulate liability for damage caused by vehicles striking wildlife. A driver will be liable for damage if they were driving in violation of traffic regulations. An obligation is also introduced to determine the population status of wildlife in each hunting ground at least once a year, as well as additional training for hunters in ballistics and safe weapon handling, to be conducted in cooperation between the Croatian Hunting Association and the Ministry of the Interior.
During the parliamentary debate, the issue of potential additional financial burden on farmers due to damage to their crops by wildlife was raised. Some opposition MPs warned that the new provisions could lead to a reduction in compensation for victims. The Government emphasised that the new system enables a fairer determination of liability, taking into account the circumstances of each individual case. During the adoption of the law, an amendment was accepted which removed the explicit provision that farmers would have to bear the cost of fencing their plots themselves.
