05 Apr 2018 TORBJÖRN LARSSON ELECTED NEW PRESIDENT OF THE NORDIC HUNTERS’ ALLIANCE

“International cooperation is a crucial factor to preserve and promote Europe’s unique regional hunting traditions”, says Torbjörn Larsson. “The Nordic Hunters’ Alliance must play an even more proactive role together with all of Europe’s hunting regions to demonstrate in a wider perspective how hunting contributes towards important environmental, nature and societal values. The interests of all of Europe’s 7 million hunters must always be at the centre when decisions are made with regard to hunting and wildlife management”.

Torbjörn Larsson is a Swedish businessman and entrepreneur with many years of experience in EU interest representation in Brussels for the industry trade organisation Swedish Aluminium. Being a keen hunter, he has been active in the Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management throughout his life. He was regional president for five years; during eight years he was a member of the national board and became responsible for international affairs. In 2017 he was elected President of the national association.

Torbjörn Larsson believes that one of the key challenges today is to communicate the great benefits of hunting to wider society. “No other group can compete with our numbers of dedicated and well-educated nature-loving people who spend much of their own time and money in the field for the benefit of others”, says Torbjörn Larsson.

“In return, hunters are expecting workable and realistic policies, for example more flexible and adaptive solutions under the EU birds and habitats directives, where regional and cultural characteristics should be taken better into account, since the magic of conservation happens precisely at local level.”

Torbjörn Larsson sees the work to bring about this change as one core task of the Nordic Hunters’ Alliance in the coming years. He concludes: “In order to achieve better policies for hunting and conservation, hunters all across Europe will have to work closely together to maximise our influence in the EU institutions and be even stronger in communicating the hunters’ unique knowledge-base and the great things they do for nature conservation and society”.

The Nordic hunters’ associations are active members of the European Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation (FACE) and the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC). The Nordic Hunters’ Alliance is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Torbjörn Larsson was today elected for a three-year term as President of the Nordic Hunters’ Alliance.

At the same meeting, Runar Rugtvedt from Norway was elected Vice-President.

The outgoing NHA President Claus Lind Christensen from Denmark has held the position since September 2015.

For more information, please contact:
Johan Svalby, NHA Senior Advisor for International Affairs
johan.svalby@jagareforbundet.se or +32 478 817 468

Torbjörn Larsson, NHA President
torbjorn.larsson@jagareforbundet.se or +46 70 818 81 00

About the Nordic Hunters’ Alliance
The Nordic Hunters’ Alliance (NHA) was established in 1947 and currently represents approximately 600,000 hunters and shooters in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. Read more: http://www.en.nordichunters.eu/