Hares in Albania: a game species awaiting a new hunting framework

The official list of wild fauna species subject to hunting, adopted by the Council of Ministers in 2010 under the former hunting law, begins with the brown hare, « lepur i egër ».^[1] The ministry describes the species as highly adaptable, present in all types of natural habitat, with densities linked to habitat diversity; fresh meadows and pastures are its typical haunts.^[2] For its biology, see our brown hare profile.

The 2016 ministerial instruction on game inventories states that the hare population « has declined in many areas » of its range in Albania, and that agricultural intensification has reduced its food supply.^[2] The same text entrusts the organisation of the inventory to the Ministry of Environment, together with research institutes, the national environment and protected areas agencies, municipalities and associations, and describes spotlight night counts for the hare.^[2] No recent quantified national estimate was found in the sources consulted.

Faced with a massive decline in wildlife, Albania introduced a two-year moratorium on all forms of hunting in March 2014, which Parliament then extended for five years in 2016.^[4] Law No. 61/2016 bans hunting throughout the country to improve the status of game species, including in wildlife breeding areas, whose contracts remain valid.^[3] In May 2026, the Albanian Federation for Hunting and Conservation, the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, FACE and the CIC spoke of moving out of the moratorium, after more than a decade, towards a sustainable hunting framework.^[5]

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, Law No. 89/2025 provides that hunting zones are approved by decision of the Council of Ministers and that, until they are, hunting is not permitted in Albania; neither the hunting calendar nor the transitional provisions allow hunting without approved zones.^[6] The CIC lists among the implementation tasks hunting territories, game wardens, the hunting licence and its examinations, and wildlife health.^[5] For the current state of the regulations, check with the Ministry of Tourism and Environment.

The draft law put out for public consultation in December 2024 provided for restocking zones declared by ministerial order, where hunting would be prohibited and restocking would use traditional native species; it also made the import of game subject to customs legislation and to the law on trade in wild species.^[7] The text finally adopted may differ: for any restocking or import project, check with the Ministry of Tourism and Environment. Our page on returning hares to the wild sets out general good practice.