Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder has signed an order authorising hunters to kill 913 roe deer and 534 red deer during Moldova’s 2026–27 hunting season.
After facing criticism over the environmental situation on the Dniester, Hajder has turned his attention to managing wildlife populations and responding to complaints from farmers. The authorities describe the record deer cull quotas as a necessary population-control measure. Animal welfare campaigners and political critics, however, have condemned the decision as destructive.
Moldova deer cull defended as forest protection
Speaking at a Government of Moldova meeting on June 17, Hajder said roe deer populations in some areas were six to eight times above recommended levels. According to the minister, the animals are damaging young forests and causing financial losses for farmers.
“When the number of animals exceeds the norm by six or seven times, this causes losses for farmers, damages young forests and prevents woodland regeneration,” Hajder said.
The minister added that his department had received dozens of complaints from agricultural producers. He insisted that the approved quota represented only 3% of the estimated animal population, which he said exceeded 11,000.
“Although three times as many applications were submitted, we approved hunting in only 82 of the 191 hunting grounds as a precaution. Under normal circumstances, we could have approved considerably more,” Hajder said.
The government therefore presents the Moldova deer cull as a limited intervention intended to protect forests and farmland rather than an unrestricted hunting campaign.
Former inspector calls decision “destruction”
Ion Bulmaga, former director of the Environmental Protection Inspectorate, has rejected the minister’s explanation.
In a video posted on social media, Bulmaga said the order undermined years of work by inspectors, foresters and volunteers seeking to protect wild animals from poaching.
“This is what happens after years in which we, together with foresters, volunteer environmental inspectors and colleagues from the inspectorate, fought against poaching: on June 3, the environment minister signs an order authorising the destruction of 534 red deer and 913 roe deer,” he said.
Bulmaga described the measure not as population management, but as the destruction of wildlife. In his view, years of conservation work had effectively been reversed by a single ministerial signature. The dispute centres on whether the quotas are supported by reliable population data and whether hunting is the most appropriate way to address damage to farmland and young forests.
Hunting policy faces growing scrutiny
Officially, the government says the decision is about regulating wildlife numbers. Critics warn that the scale of the Moldova deer cull risks turning the country into an attractive destination for trophy hunters. The order has therefore opened a wider debate about the quality of wildlife monitoring, the transparency of hunting quotas and the balance between environmental protection and farmers’ interests. Whether the measure will reduce agricultural damage without harming deer populations will depend on how the quotas are enforced and whether the authorities publish credible data on wildlife numbers.
