Poaching in the system of state management of natural resources: issues of legal regulation

The study provides a comprehensive interpretation of the illegal seizure of natural resources as a socio-legal phenomenon that threatens environmental sustainability and public order. Poaching is considered not only as a breach of regulatory requirements, but also as an indicator of a crisis in social values, in which natural objects are viewed mainly through utilitarian benefit. The paper substantiates the need to revise existing categorical approaches and to include plant resources among legally protected objects alongside wildlife. The relevance of the topic is linked to the growing transboundary character of illegal nature use, the expansion of shadow markets for biological resources and the participation of socially diverse groups in unlawful schemes. The analysis shows that environmental policy can be effective only through a combination of legal mechanisms and the formation of responsible attitudes toward nature. Special attention is given to the need for a unified legislative definition of poaching to remove terminological inconsistencies and improve law enforcement. The interdisciplinary approach allows poaching to be examined as a threat to national security and the ecological identity of the state.

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