Rosokhotrybolovsoyuz: History of Formation

The RSFSR Union of Hunting and Fishing Societies was founded on the basis of the Resolution of the RSFSR Council of Ministers dated April 11, 1958, No 336 “About Measures of Improvement of the RSFSR Hunting Reserves. In September 1958, the I All-Russian Conference of Hunters took place.

By the Resolution of the RSFSR Council of Ministers dated September 29, 1962, the RSFSR Union of Hunting Societies was renamed as the RSFSR Union of Hunting and Fishing Societies (Rosokhotrybolovsoyuz).

In 1991 (on July 28), the RSFSR Union of Hunting and Fishing Societies was reorganized into the Russian Alliance of Public Associations (Rosokhotrybolovsoyuz) at the IX Convention.

Therefore, the Russian hunters’ concept about the foundation of their own All-Russian organization which had been maintained historically and discussed repeatedly at most hunting public conventions since the middle of the XIX century and almost embodied in the beginning of the XX century (Vsekokhotsoyuz existed from 1920 to 1933 and then was liquidated) was fully brought into life in 1958 and is still in action. Our alliance will celebrate its 50^th anniversary in 2008.

How did Rosokhotrybolovsoyuz start its activity?

In 1958, 71 public associations of hunting, with the total number of 592 thousand members, founded this organization. The first consolidated report proved that the public associations of hunting and fishing did not remain inactive but were involved in a large number of activities: selection process, control of wolf abundance, procurement of trade fur peltries and other hunting yield; development of shooting and hunting sports, pedigree blood dog breeding. The associations also carried on trade and production activities by creating their own manufacturing and trading enterprises. However, the amount of the associations’ hunting and fishing reserves and consolidated hunting and fishing reserves was insignificant. There were practically no hunting and fishing seats and stopping points, fishing was only at its first stage of development; hardly anyone was involved in fish-farming and game breeding. No publishing activity was yet developed. No activity was performed not only on the international level, but also on the Russian and Soviet level.

At present, the Alliance is a large-scale public association of hunting and fishing which includes 75 regional non-governmental organizations, the Central Council of the Military and Hunting Association, the All-Russian Physical Culture and Sports Association Dynamo and over a dozen of other participants who are also actively involved in hunting and fishing activities. In 2006, the Alliance comprised about 24.5 thousand of primary groups with more than 1.5 million members.