Poland: game belongs to the State Treasury
Free-living game animals are a good of the whole nation and the property of the State Treasury.
The Polish act of 13 October 1995, the Prawo łowieckie, first defines its subject: łowiectwo, as an element of protecting the natural environment, means protecting game animals and managing their resources in keeping with ecological principles and with those of rational agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Article 2 then lays down an ownership rule that sets Poland clearly apart from its western neighbours: free-living game animals, as a good of the whole nation, are the property of the State Treasury. The right to hunt is therefore not an attribute of land ownership. Article 3 lists the aims: protecting, conserving the diversity of and managing game populations; protecting and shaping the natural environment to improve the game's living conditions; and achieving the best possible individual condition, trophy quality and appropriate population size for each species.