After reading the article Victor Gurov, “Country nepugannyh poachers” (“Hunting and hunting farm”, 2016. – No. 2) and Cyril Voinkova Seven growth factors poaching” (“Russian hunting newspaper”, 2016. – No. 7), believe that they are objectively assessed the poaching. I have more than 40 years in contact with the hunters of Taimyr and I don’t care about the fate once the world’s largest Taimyr population of wild reindeer. In this regard, I decided to write this article.
The first aerial survey of the Taimyr population of wild reindeer was made in 1959. Its population was established in the amount of 110 thousand heads. The commercial stock of deer was determined at 6 thousand head, which is provided for the production of small indigenous peoples of the Peninsula.
Since the late 50 – ies of XX century the hunters of the Extreme North agricultural research Institute carried out a comprehensive study of the biology of the Taimyr wild reindeer measures, optimization of their reproduction, paths of spring and autumn migration of reindeer, introduced measures for the protection of the unique Taimyr population, included the fight with the wolf. It was mined using small aircraft, hunters, fishers and lovers. With the aim of sustainable development of the commercial stock of deer, carried out research on the development of rational methods of production of reindeer at water crossings and on land. All this contributed to a growth in the number of wild reindeer, the extension of their annual area of 1.5 million km2, including the Taimyr Peninsula, North – East of Evenkia, partially gydansky Peninsula Yamal, North – Western suburb of Yakutia – the upper basin of the Vilyui, Olenka, Anabara. Due to this, the deer had a favorable feeding conditions.
Control over the number of animals, their protection was carried out by regular aerial surveys and active activities “harvest Service”, “Service alert about the migration of the wild reindeer, the activities of the “Northern group”, service Goskomrezerva, the public hunting inspectors, the organization of the reserve “Taimyr”, “Putorana”.
These measures provided the conditions for positive dynamics of growth of number of wild reindeer, the growth of their commercial stock. Ten years after the first aerial survey of the population of the Taimyr population of wild reindeer has increased to 333 thousand heads, and in 1978 reached 475 thousand heads in 1986, 595 thousand, in 1990, 625 thousand head, the next best structure: adult males and 16.8% females – 30%, calves – 22,6%, young cattle 1 – 2 years 30.6 per cent, providing annual sustainable reproduction of the Taimyr population of wild reindeer.
It should be noted that during 70 – ies and 80 – ies of XX century the commercial stock of wild reindeer according to the recommendations of the agricultural research Institute of the far North, effectively mastered the gospromkhoz “Taimyr”, agro-industrial Association “Arctic”. Over the period 1971 – 1990 all commercial farms in the Yenisei North and the population of the population was officially produced 1294,6 thousand wild reindeer.
The transition from administrative – planned economy to market relations caused the crisis in the hunting economy of Taimyr. Instead of state and gospromkhoz arose 223 small farms of different ownership forms with unsatisfactory technical equipment, financial security, the lack of professional staff, specialists. This completely stopped the activity, established for many years, supply – procurement system. Due to the lack of funding has suspended its operations “and the group”, “harvest”, “Service alert about the migration of the wild reindeer, was reduced to nothing productive public hunting inspectors. Actually stopped a complex fight with the wolf. “Its numbers in the Yenisei North increased from 1.0 thousand head up to 3.5 – 4.0 thousand, Respectively increased Traver reindeer wolf. On average wolves per year in the region currently produce about 60 – 70 thousand of the tundra and taiga more than 5 thousand wild reindeer” (L. A. kolpashchikov, D. A. Mukhachev, 2010).
The aerial survey conducted in 2009 found that the number of the wild reindeer population has dropped to 485,5 thousand heads.
Currently there is no complete security on the Taimyr wild reindeer from the state. Because of all the reorganisations and cuts in services Goskomrezerva here is preserved the territorial division of the three Rangers of the regional service, whose activities extend to the area 884,4 km2, which does not allow to speak about its effectiveness. With the orders of the RF MNR to restrict hunting, ban on harvesting deer do not take into account the biological characteristics reindeer, the climatic conditions of the far North.
Candidate of biological Sciences, specialist in the Taimyr population of wild reindeer A. M. Shapkin (2014) writes: “the production Quota in the hunting season 2013/2014 in the secured grounds of the hunters in Taimyr is 28.7 thousand heads, to Evenkia 5.3 thousand How many actually produced for the entire hunting season on the Taimyr Peninsula, in the neighboring Evenkia and in the North – West of Yakutia, the Taimyr wild reindeer does not know anybody. In addition, since March 2012, in excess of the assigned limits indigenous peoples leading a traditional way of life and living in places of their traditional residence and economic activities, allowed to produce for personal consumption eight wild deer per person. Such Taimyr there are less than thousands.”
Recall that in the 80 years of the twentieth century only the gospromkhoz “Taimyr” on the Taimyr Peninsula was mined each year, according to the quota of 38.6 – 45.9 thousand wild reindeer.
Economically and socially unjustified transition to a market economy led to a decline in the population of the Taimyr population of wild reindeer, their fishing stock, the uncontrolled development that adversely affects the socio – economic situation of indigenous peoples of the region.
The transition to a market economy due to the prevailing conditions contributed to the development of poaching in the habitat of the Taimyr population of wild reindeer. Today, the poachers on his arms have repeating carbines, beautiful snegohodnomu equipment mainly of Japanese manufacture great equipment.
Active poachers, when the deer, with antlers, swim across the river. They cut down the antlers with an axe or heavy cleaver, together with frontal bone. In this way mined tons of antlers and killed a large number of highly productive males. According to the expert estimation of doctor of biological Sciences, chief specialist of the Taimyr population of wild reindeer L. A. Kolpashikov annually by poachers is removed from the population up to 100 thousand animals. He said: “Police wound up criminal cases, but they quickly closed. The result is catastrophic fall of number of the Taimyr population of wild reindeer. In 2014, the proportion of calves and juveniles in all populations was 11 – 13%, such a proportion was never in the entire history of the study population. Just knock out the gene pool of elite males, and in the fall selective adult females and males.
A. M. Shapkin (2014) emphasizes: “left to drift uncontrolled and irrational use of resources of the Taimyr population is quite predictable over time, undermine its reproductive potential. Decreasing the number of Mature females in the population in some of the reproductive season can not cover excessive fishery harvesting to be followed by inevitable decline, and then we’re back to the days when to get wild reindeer on the Peninsula only allowed the indigenous population to meet the”personal use”.
The government of the Russian Federation in March 2009 there was adopted the Federal concept of sustainable development of indigenous peoples of Russia for the period up to 2025. Given that the resources of the Taimyr population of wild reindeer plays a vital role in livelihoods and socio – economic situation of these peoples in the area of its range (Dolgans, Nenets, Enets, Nganasans, Evenks, evens) requires the adoption of the regional program “Preservation and measures for the protection and rational use of the Taimyr population of wild reindeer,” with the requisite funds from Federal and regional budgets. Its implementation will allow for a unique Taimyr population of wild reindeer to maintain at an optimal level.
