Government regulation of hunting in Russia in the 17th - early 20th centuries

The article considers the main stages of the state regulation of hunting in Russia in the 17th - early 20th centuries and their reflection in the legislation. The task of economic development and creation of the legal regulation mechanism of economic and social processes in the region faced Russian government after the accession of Siberia. In addition, the Siberian people were obliged to pay into the treasury a tribute paid off in furs. Therefore, the problem of rational use of fur resources of the region during the period in question was particularly important and became ever more relevant. Furs production increased steadily due to the population increase, commodity-money relationships development, fishing techniques improvement, on the one hand, and to the constantly increasing demand for fur goods from the domestic and foreign markets, on the other hand. However, uncontrolled hunting during many years carried out without regard to the natural reproduction of livestock of fur-bearing animals resulted in a reduction in the production of the most valuable furs. These circumstances forced the government to take certain measures aimed at the preservation of the fur resources and the regulation of food trade in hunting. The article analyzes legislative acts relating to hunting, primarily, the fur trade: the law of 1763 banning hunting, Statute on the Management of Foreigners of 1822, hunting law of February 3, 1892, act of 1912 on the prohibition of sable hunting. These laws and their enforcement are considered in the context of economic and social processes, observed in the indigenous peoples of Siberia, for whom hunting was one of the major economic activities and a source for tax payment - a tribute paid off in furs. On the basis of published sources and archival data, the author of the article goes into the particulars of the activities of the Special Commission for the Revision of the Law on Hunting which was comprised of both officials and well-known experts A. A. Silantyev, N. V. Turkin. The Commission attempted to create a unified law regulating both commercial hunting and sport hunting throughout the Empire. But it failed to create unified rules for the use of hunting resources in terms of the diversity of natural and climatic conditions of the country and different values of hunting for the economy of various population groups; and the draft law prepared by the Commission was not approved by the State Duma and was not realized in the pre-Soviet period.

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