2023-08-12 05:00:00
Data from the Report on the State of Forests and Forest Management for 2022 show that Czechs collected almost 23,000 tons of mushrooms for 5.2 billion crowns last year. On that occasion, Minister of Agriculture Marek Výborný (KDU-ČSL) pointed out that in the Czech Republic people can freely go into the forest. “There are states where various restrictions or prohibitions apply when it comes to collecting mushrooms or other forest crops. In a Holland like this, if you go hunting for mushrooms, you are committing a misdemeanor and the crime of poaching.” said Excellent.
Economist Lukáš Kovanda responded to this on the CNN Prima NEWS broadcast. “I’m afraid that because the statistics on the number of mushrooms collected have been promoted by one political party, politicians are creating a springboard to consider charging,” thinks Kovanda, according to whom politicians could justify it by concern for the environment and by the fact that we have to preserve forests for future generations.
Rest is not paid for!
But the frightened mushroom pickers are calmed down by the senator and passionate mushroom picker Václav Láska. “In eight years in politics, I have not heard from a single person that this is being considered. Most Czechs go to the forest not to collect mushrooms for economic gain, but to relax, and there is no charge for that.” Láska explains for Blesk.cz.
According to him, each country has its own regulation of mushroom collection, depending on how the tradition has developed there. “And in the Czech Republic it has developed into a nationwide relaxation sport, it has an extraordinary tradition here, so I think that no reasonable person will consider charging a fee,” Love understands.
According to data from the Czech University of Life Sciences, on average every Czech visited the forest almost thirty-seven times last year. In 2018, there were only 20 visits per year. Václav Láska believes that, even technically, charging for collection would be difficult to implement, especially to the extent that people go to the forest in our country. “What would such a control system look like, how to enforce it? Besides, everyone would bypass it,” he is thinking.
How is it abroad?
Václav Láska has currently published a book Love is on mushrooms, where he also deals with mushroom picking habits in other countries. According to him, the restrictions are different, from a complete ban on collection in the Netherlands to limited collection. “In some countries, you have a certain amount that you can take away. Elsewhere, there are limited days or hours in which you can collect. In Italy, Switzerland or France, it even differs by region,” adds Láska, saying that all of this is based on the tradition of the country in question.
Mycologist: We have a limited collection of mushrooms
Markéta Vlčková from the Czech Mycological Society also commented on the issue of possible restrictions or fees for mushroom collection. “Mushroom collection is theoretically already limited by “one’s own reasonable need”, but that is understandably quite general. From the point of view of nature conservation, it is not necessary to restrict mushroom picking in cultural forests, of which we probably have the majority. It is necessary to teach the public to behave respectfully towards nature even in these forests,” Markéta Vlčková recently explained to Bleska.
Pavel Hubař: It’s nonsense!
Pavel Slavík, a passionate mushroom grower and nature lover, called the idea of charging for collection nonsense. “They are the gifts of the forest. If no one picks them up, the mushrooms will rot.” he says and shows his basket of mushrooms that he brought from Dolní Žleb in Děčínsk. “I collected for about three hours because the terrain here is difficult. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid, it’s my second home,” Pavel Slavík smiles. He distributed most of the mushrooms to friends and neighbors, and dried some. He also likes to use mushrooms for frying, or fry them as steaks.
And what advice would he give to other mushroom pickers? “Gather mushrooms in the beech forest. Take your time and look around slowly. But the most important thing is to love it and never give up.” adds the satisfied mushroom picker.
Prašivky, which are a real delicacy on a plate. Videohub
Pavel Slavík grows mushrooms in Dolní Žleb in Děčínsk.
Author: Pavel Slavík
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