The initiative is part of a long-term, €30 million project that includes a wide range of activities across the country. For managing small predator populations on Hiiumaa, €200,000 has been allocated over a ten-year period, according to the project application.

A document submitted to Brussels for approval lists as its goals "a reduction of areas occupied by invasive alien species by 900 square kilometers" and "the removal of raccoon dogs from Hiiumaa," Eesti Ekspress reports.

"The continued decline in the populations of certain bird species shows that protecting and restoring habitats alone is no longer enough — studies have shown that nest predation destroys as many as 86 percent of ground-nesting bird nests," said Timo Kark, head of the Ministry of Climate's biodiversity department, in a press release following the article's publication.

The predator control program will focus primarily on non-native species such as the raccoon dog and American mink, as well as the golden jackal, which has spread to Estonia on its own. If necessary, native species such as the red fox and badger may also be included.

A pilot project on five coastal meadow sites showed that predator hunting helped improve wader chick survival in Matsalu National Park's Haeska and Põgari areas, reaching the target success rate of 40 percent — a level that allows bird populations to sustain themselves.

Over three years, the pilot project removed 169 foxes, 22 jackals and 154 raccoon dogs across six areas. According to the ministry, on small islands and islets, the hunting of small predators has led to increases in ground-nesting bird populations, particularly among species of key conservation importance.

The local impact of raccoon dogs can be significant. Years ago, a single raccoon dog that made its way to Kumari islet wiped out the populations of both common frogs and natterjack toads within a few months.

The raccoon dog was added to the EU list of invasive alien species in 2019; the mink will be added in 2027. This means that managing both species is a requirement under European Union law.

During the last hunting season, 4,285 raccoon dogs were hunted in Estonia. Marko Vinni, an adviser with the Estonian Hunters' Society, estimates there are about 2,500 raccoon dogs on Hiiumaa. Kark has also heard estimates as high as 5,000. Asked by an Ekspress journalist how all of them would be killed, Kark pointed to the project's 10-year timeframe.

This year, the state plans to clarify hunting regulations to establish a legal basis for predator control in protected areas, ensuring the survival of species for which those areas were designated. The focus will be on problem individuals and the hunting season will be extended through the end of April.

The Environmental Board will continue limiting predator populations in selected protected areas as part of its conservation efforts. Officials are also considering introducing hunting conditions for small predators on state-owned land in designated zones. Additionally, performance assessment methods are being developed.

"Due to the success of rabies vaccination programs and a decline in demand for small predator pelts, predator numbers have increased and so have their impacts. It's important to emphasize that this is a targeted conservation measure implemented based on the objectives and management plans of protected areas — it is not general hunting," Kark stressed. Hunting quotas will be set individually for each area, based on monitoring data and the abundance of protected species.

The most intensive hunting period is from November through March when predators are more active and birds are not nesting.

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