Agenda Profile: Andres Metsoja
Draft law amending the Hunting Act (553 SE) - First Reading
2025-01-28
15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary session
Political Position
The political position focuses on finding a balance between nature conservation, the human living environment, and economic activity. The speaker strongly supports the draft bill initiated by Isamaa, which authorizes the Environmental Board to organize year-round hunting to prevent wildlife damage, thereby protecting livestock farmers and agricultural producers. Criticism is directed at excessive centralized regulation and bureaucracy, which hinders local management and generates resentment. The framework is pragmatic and value-based, emphasizing the need for common sense.
5 Speeches Analyzed
Topic Expertise
The speaker demonstrates comprehensive expertise in hunting law, the status of wildlife populations, and ecological factors, with a specific focus on the wolf as the national animal. Specific terminology is employed, such as hunting quotas, management zones, and nuisance individuals (or problem animals). References are made to Environmental Agency data and the Swedish model. This expertise further includes knowledge of the impact of diseases (African swine fever, avian influenza) and natural regulation on population dynamics.
5 Speeches Analyzed
Rhetorical Style
The style is concerned and at times urgent, particularly when discussing the threat of vigilantism and the bureaucratic defiance that stems from the state's inability to react quickly. The speaker balances logical arguments (hunting statistics, the substance of the legal amendment) with emotional examples (a personal experience involving cutting down a tree) to illustrate systemic problems. The necessity of common sense and balance is emphasized, while simultaneously incorporating references to the national animal and primeval nature.
5 Speeches Analyzed
Activity Patterns
The pattern of activity is related to legislative work, involving the presentation of the bill initiated by Isamaa at its first reading. The speaker refers to active participation in the joint sessions of the Rural Affairs Committee and the Environment Committee, where various stakeholders were heard, including livestock farmers and wolf conservationists.
5 Speeches Analyzed
Opposition Stance
The criticism is aimed at centralized governance and bureaucracy, which breeds resentment and contempt for the state itself by treating citizens as ignorant and effectively teaching them helplessness. Specific criticism is leveled against the rigid nature conservation law and the lengthy processing times of the Environmental Board when issuing permits to cull problem animals. Furthermore, the trend toward "total conservation," which excludes people from protected areas, is also under fire.
5 Speeches Analyzed
Collaboration Style
The speaker stresses the necessity of finding a compromise between human interests and nature, and positively highlights the Environment Committee’s approval of the draft legislation, which transcended the usual lines between the opposition and the coalition. The collaborative approach involves listening openly to stakeholders (livestock farmers, hunters, and wolf conservationists) in order to find balanced solutions.
5 Speeches Analyzed
Regional Focus
A strong regional focus is placed on rural areas and protected nature reserves where economic activity is restricted, citing Lahemaa and Soomaa as examples. Emphasis is placed on the importance of the concerns of local residents and livestock breeders, who live surrounded by nature and understand it best. The speaker's personal home region is also mentioned in connection with the culling of the jackal.
5 Speeches Analyzed
Economic Views
Economic views focus on protecting the limited economic activity in rural areas (livestock farming, agriculture) from damage caused by wildlife. Support is given for easing regulations that prevent owners from protecting or maintaining their property (e.g., land improvement systems, power lines). The objective is to preserve heritage meadows and semi-natural habitats while simultaneously supporting livestock farmers.
5 Speeches Analyzed
Social Issues
The primary social issue is the relationship between the state and the citizen, where the state renders people helpless and generates resentment through excessive central regulation. Emphasis is placed on the need to trust local people and hunters and to prevent vigilantism when dealing with damage caused by wildlife. The decline in general awareness is also addressed (e.g., the inability to determine cardinal directions in the forest).
5 Speeches Analyzed
Legislative Focus
The main legislative priority is the draft Act amending the Hunting Act (553 SE), which the Isamaa faction initiated to grant the Environmental Board year-round authority to prevent damage. Furthermore, the need to reform the Nature Conservation Act and the Climate Act is emphasized, citing the large volume of proposed amendments, which suggests that the laws are overly regulatory. The objective is to expedite the procedures for culling nuisance animals.
5 Speeches Analyzed