A separate state act on hunting does not figure in the basis of this material: the rules connected with hunting are represented here through the hunting-economy regime of the Forest Code — the types of special use, the legal grounds, and liability. On this page you will see how this regime works and where its boundaries lie.
The Hunting Economy in the System of Special Use
In the forests of Georgia many types of special forest use may be carried out, including the organization of a fishery or a hunting economy. Among the other types are the preparation of timber by economic felling, the preparation of non-timber resources, the organization of plantation economy, and use for agricultural and resort-recreational purposes.
Several types of special use may be carried out simultaneously per unit of area, provided they do not substantially impede one another. In protected forest, the organization of a hunting economy is possible only on the part of a protected territory defined by the law on the system of protected areas — this restriction determines where a hunting economy may be located.
The Purpose and Regulation of the Hunting Economy
A fishery is organized for commercial purposes of growing and extracting fish, and within its framework the introduction and multiplication of invasive species is prohibited. The organization of a fishery or a hunting economy is regulated by the relevant legislative act — that is, the detailed rules of this sphere are placed in a separate act.
The Legal Grounds
For carrying out forest use for the purpose of organizing a hunting economy, the administrative proceeding connected with the use of a forest area begins on the basis of the application of an interested person, by the address of the license or permit issuing authority or on the initiative of the forest management body. The issuing authority is obliged to involve the forest management body in this proceeding.
Liability and Practical Significance
Liability for violating the Forest Code is determined by Georgian legislation. The imposition of liability does not release the offender from the obligation to compensate damage caused to the forest — the grounds and procedure of compensating that damage are determined by legislation.
For a person interested in hunting, the essence of this regime is the following: the hunting economy is one of the types of special forest use, its organization proceeds through an administrative proceeding and requires the consent of the forest management body, while the detailed rules — including the rules of hunting itself — are established by a separate legislative act.