The 21st FeHoVa International Fishing, Hunting and Arms expo opens in Budapest on Thursday. The four-day fair awaits the hunters, anglers and nature-lovers of the Carpathian Basin with a host of interesting programmes and a day out to remember.

FeHoVa fans visiting Budapest's Exhibition Centre can expect to see rarities from Hungary and the whole Carpathian Basin, displays from exotic countries, award-winning trophies and 200 exhibitor stands, as well as a varied professional and entertainment programs. In addition to the various Hungarian stands and those from neighbouring countries, exhibitors from South Africa, Namibia and Zambia will also be displaying their wares at the Expo.

Those interested in the successes achieved by forestry, game and fish management over the past year can gain information on the various sectoral achievements that determine the everyday lives of fishermen, anglers, hunters, foresters and people who make a living from forests.

Such achievements include the rethinking of fish management regulations, which is regarded as a milestone for the sector. The new regulations are based on a fish management and fish protection approach, placing angling and angling tourism at the forefront, while also including legally operating fisheries, which in addition to preserving fishing traditions are also required to assure a safe food supply.

Several new regulations have also been introduced during the past year that are aimed at protecting and developing the country's forests. Forest cover in Hungary is increasing continuously, with over 12,500 hectares of new forest having been established since 2010. Forestry funding provides jobs for three thousand people, with an additional fourteen thousand employed in forestry public work programmes.

One of the new regulations introduced with relation to hunting assures the transparency of hunting training, including the cementing of hunting safety. Another important novelty was to expand the scope of authority of professional hunters and the amendment of gun ownership regulations. Game meat regulations have enabled the sector to become profitable, generating HUF 1.4bn (EUR 4.5m) in revenues last year.

In addition to the professional aspects, the Expo also offers many popular and spectacular programs for the general public, including trophy exhibitions and a display by gunsmiths and knife makers, organised for the first time this year. The subject of many programmes this year is the presentation of the world's exotic animals and the wildlife of the Carpathian Basin. There will also be an exhibition of the winning entries of the HUNTINGPress International Photo Competition, in addition to which the FeHoVA will also be the venue for the first Youth Hunting Horn Festival and the traditional deer rutting, falconer, hunting dog and pet displays.

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)