António Ventura reviews hunting season, highlighting sustainable species management and stricter enforcement - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Agricultura e Alimentação

The Government of the Azores, through the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Food, has released the final figures for the 2025/2026 hunting season. The data was presented during a visit to the Chã da Macela Hunting Post in the municipality of Lagoa.

According to the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Food, António Ventura, the results demonstrate “responsible and sustainable management of natural resources, marked by business-as-usual activities, safety and enhanced monitoring.”

This report reflects hunting activity across all islands of the archipelago, with hunting quotas adjusted to reflect population levels and the specific characteristics of each territory.

Although hunting pressure remained broadly similar to that of the previous season, the Regional Government implemented technically justified and targeted adjustments. These include an increase in the number of days allocated for hunting wild rabbits on the islands of São Miguel, Faial and Flores, justified by the high abundance of the species, and the ban on hunting the common snipe on the islands of São Miguel, Terceira and Faial, in response to the observed decline in breeding populations.

By the end of the season, the Regional Directorate for Forest Resources and Spatial Planning had issued 2,011 hunting licences, corresponding to 1,896 individual hunters.

Out of this total, 1,905 licences were issued to residents and 106 to non-residents, consistent with the average registered over the last decade.

The island of São Miguel accounted for the highest number of licences (924), followed by Terceira (371), Faial (162), Pico (138), São Jorge (117), Santa Maria (83), Flores (69) and Graciosa (41).

The attractiveness for non-resident hunters was particularly high on Pico (23.2% of licences), São Jorge (18%), Graciosa (9.8%) and Terceira (9.4%).

Between July 1, 2025, and February 28, 2026, the Forestry Services carried out 218 enforcement operations, totalling 1,087 hours of operation and 770 on-site inspections.

Only eight offences were reported (mainly related to hunting outside permitted hours, failing to carry required documents, and hunting in forbidden areas), demonstrating a high level of compliance with the rules among hunters.

During these surveys, 421 hunters (22.2% of those licensed for this season) were interviewed, with the majority expressing satisfaction with the current system: 60.1% believe that hunting seasons should remain unchanged, and 74.9% support maintaining the daily bag limits.

In the coming months, the Regional Government will analyse population monitoring indicators, culling results and requests for density adjustments.

This scientific data, combined with consultations with hunting associations, farmers and environmental organisations, will serve as the basis for the 2026/2027 hunting season, which begins on July 1.

“The joint efforts of hunters, experts and partner organisations are strengthening the resilience of the Region and preparing the islands for future challenges,” stated António Ventura.

The government official concluded by reiterating that “commitment to and respect for nature remain the foundation for ensuring balanced ecosystems and hunting practices aligned with sustainability.”