Vásárosnamény, Hungary – 16–19 October 2025
Hunters, farmers, and conservation experts from across Central and Eastern Europe gathered in Vásárosnamény, Hungary, for the 2025 CIC Central and Eastern European Coordination Forum, which focused on the recovery and sustainable management of small game species. The four-day meeting combined technical discussions, field visits, and cultural activities, underscoring the vital link between rural land use, biodiversity, and ethical hunting.
Held alongside the CACIT All-Around Vizsla Championship, the event showcased the skill and heritage of hunting dog traditions. Participants from Hungary, Serbia, and Slovakia demonstrated exceptional teamwork between hunters and their dogs in scent tracking, retrieving, and water work — a celebration of the cultural dimension of sustainable use.
Opening the forum, CIC Ambassador Tamás Marghescu called for renewed cooperation between the hunting and agricultural sectors.
“We’ve spoken for years about the challenges facing small game,” he said. “Now we must create nuclei of action in every country — partnerships between hunters, farmers, and the agricultural sector that can access funding and bring results.”
Reports presented by delegations from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Ukraine, Romania, and Slovakia revealed similar patterns across the region: declining hare and pheasant populations, the consequences of intensive agriculture, and the continued misuse of pesticides. Participants agreed that meaningful recovery depends on stronger partnerships with farmers and incentives for habitat restoration.
Forum President Dr. Imrich Šuba (Slovakia) highlighted his country’s success in using agricultural subsidies for “green lanes” and natural vegetation strips to break up large fields — an approach that led to measurable increases in hare and pheasant numbers within two years.
The keynote address by Dr. Péter Hajas stressed the need for ethical and science-based management. Presenting ecological data and field experience, he cautioned against overreliance on game releases and intensive shooting practices, urging a return to fair-chase principles.
“If we are committed to fair chase, then we must also define where hunting ends and livestock management begins,” he said.
Hajas illustrated how regenerative farming — reduced tillage, cover crops, and reintroducing hedgerows — can simultaneously boost biodiversity, soil health, and farm profitability. His message captured the Forum’s central theme: sustainable small game management must unite ecology, ethics, and economics.
Participants also joined a field visit hosted by Mr. Zoltán B. Kiss, exploring local pheasantries and a regional hunting museum before attending a joint gala dinner with CACIT competitors, celebrating Central Europe’s shared hunting heritage and rural gastronomy.
As the meeting concluded, delegates identified three regional priorities for action:
-
Establishing a unified monitoring system for small game across Central and Eastern Europe.
-
Combating illegal pesticide use and agricultural chemicals harming wildlife.
-
Creating national platforms linking hunting associations, farmers, and environmental NGOs to coordinate habitat restoration.
The 2025 Coordination Forum reaffirmed that hunters and farmers are indispensable allies in restoring biodiversity and maintaining a productive, living countryside.
About the CIC
The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) is a global non-profit organisation advocating for biodiversity conservation through sustainable use. Founded in 1930, the CIC unites governments, NGOs, and experts from more than 80 countries to ensure that hunting and wildlife management continue to render services to nature and society.
Media Contact:
Tristan Breijer MBA FRGS FRSA MCIJ
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
CIC – International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation
Email: tristan.breijer@cic-wildlife.org
Mobile: +44 781 408 7423
Website: www.cic-wildlife.org
