Estonian environmental groups say bird‑nesting‑season logging lacks oversight
The Estonian Ornithological Society, together with several nature organizations, has approached the Climate Ministry and the Environmental Board, arguing that logging during the bird‑nesting season is essentially uncontrolled. According to the society, the current system does not ensure the protection that birds are guaranteed by law.
"Although the Nature Conservation Act unambiguously prohibits the destruction of bird nests, and the Supreme Court has clearly stated that nests may not be destroyed during logging, the Environmental Board apparently allows this to continue," said Kaarel Võhandu, head of the Estonian Ornithological Society.
"They have divided forests into red and yellow zones based on bird density. But even in red forests, logging is not unequivocally prohibited. This means inspectors drive around looking for logging in red forests to stop it. Meanwhile, in yellow forests — where there are also bird nests — logging continues more or less unhindered," Võhandu said.
According to the society, the state does not have enough resources to carry out such supervision effectively. As a solution, they propose a fixed, date‑based logging ban in commercial forests during the nesting season, from 15 April to 15 July.
"A date‑based logging pause would give most birds a guarantee during the peak nesting season that their eggs or chicks will not be crushed under a harvester's tracks. It would ensure the actual intent of the Nature Conservation Act," Võhandu added.
Taimo Aasma, deputy head of the Climate Ministry's biodiversity protection department, said the current bird‑nesting protection system has been in use for several years. Both the European Court and Estonia's Supreme Court have considered the risk‑based approach fundamentally sound.
"This year we've also had several court rulings," Aasma said. "The European Court issued a decision addressing nesting‑season protection in the Estonian context, and based on that, the Supreme Court recently made its own ruling. Both courts said that the Environmental Board's risk‑based approach is correct in principle. We have continued with this practice and review each year how to make it more effective."
According to Aasma, the ministry does not currently plan to amend the Nature Conservation Act or introduce a nationwide date‑based logging ban, but will focus on further developing the existing system.
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Editor: Argo Ideon
Source: ERR radio news
