Today is the first day of the ptarmigan hunting season in Iceland and thousands of hobby hunters are expected to head out attempting to catch their Christmas roast. There will be 12 hunting days in total, the next four weekends, Fridays through Sundays.
The Icelandic Institute of Natural History estimates that the Icelandic ptarmigan stock can withstand hunting of 48,000 birds. The Icelandic Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources encourages hunters to show restraint, ruv.is reports.
Although showing signs of recovery between 2013 and 2014, the Icelandic ptarmigan stock has been on the decline for years and the number of birds remains below average. The stock size fluctuates and hunting has previously been banned. The 2013 hunting season was largely unsuccessful.
