A new direction of work with hunting birds is emerging in Russia

The creation of sports falconry was discussed at the session "Ecotourism and Falconry: a balance of traditions and nature conservation" of the third International Forum "Falcon Day", which was held on the opening day of the tenth anniversary Eastern Economic Forum.

During the discussion, moderated by Maria Kulikova, Deputy Director of the Roszapovedtsenter of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, Shukhrat Razakov, Director for International Cooperation at the Kamchatka Falconry Center LLC, said that the young staff of the Falconry Center had taken the initiative to form a new direction of work with hunting birds – sport hunting, which does not involve harming game. According to him, this can be achieved using special devices worn on the claws of falcons.

"In the Kamchatka falconry center, we have created a falconry team, the age of which is from 14 years old. The guys are incredibly passionate about working with birds, but they are not interested in hunting game. Therefore, for two years, with the support of the Roscongress Foundation, our team has been developing a new discipline – humane sport falconry. Today, we can say with confidence that this approach has no analogues not only in Russia, but throughout the world. It takes into account the interests of a new generation of young falconers, who perceive their falcons primarily as friends and sports partners, rather than as a tool for obtaining food. At the same time, we also did not forget about the interests of the falcons themselves, having invented such a technology for taking non–injured game, which allows falcons not to lose their hunting passion," stressed Shukhrat Razakov.

He also noted that a new approach to falconry will be patented. According to Razakov, the popularization of the new sports discipline will contribute to the development of eco-tourism, as well as attract young people to environmental protection activities and a healthy lifestyle. The first international falconry competitions are scheduled for 2026.

In addition, the session discussed the restoration of falconry traditions as a promising area of nature-oriented tourism, the need to regulate the turnover of falconbirds and the role of breeding and rehabilitation centers in the development of this type of tourism.

The discussion was also attended by Vladimir Rusanov, Minister of Tourism of the Kamchatka Territory, Alexander Adyanov, Director of the Directorate of Specially Protected Natural Territories of the Republic of Kalmykia, Navaf Almutairi, CEO of Rasis Company LTD, and Peter Volkov, Director of the Peregrinus falcon Bird of Prey Nursery.