Med. Weter. 2020, 76 (7), 389-393 389 Artykuł przeglądowy Review DOI: dx.doi.org/10.21521/mw.6391 Hunting has been meeting with increasing disap- proval. Some aspects of this activity that provoke public protest are addressed by new legislation. Two examples of this are a ban introduced in Poland in 2018 on juveniles participating in hunting and the limitation of the number of game species to just a few in the Netherlands. The veterinary community, as well, is not free from controversy regarding active participation of veterinarians in hunting. So far, however, neither party in the debate has cited legal provisions. Veterinarians in Poland, as well, are divided about their active participation in hunting. However, this debate does not raise much interest in the Polish National Veterinary Chamber, that is, the veterinary self-government. The few articles on hunting pub- lished in the journal of the Polish National Veterinary Chamber (Życie Weterynaryjne) concern only ethical aspects and hardly ever focus on legal ones (21, 31, 47). Important as veterinary professional law may be for veterinary surgeons, they have the same legal rights and obligations as other citizens. Poland (according to Article 5 of the Constitution) seeks to ensure, among others, freedom and human rights, as well as environ- mental protection, and is guided by the principle of sustainable development (57). Freedom, however, is not absolute, but limited by the law to ensure public safety and order, and to protect health and the natural environment (Article 31 section 3 of the Constitution). Ethical and legal bird hunting duties by Polish veterinarians MARIUSZ Z. FELSMANN, JÓZEF SZAREK*, IRENEUSZ SOŁTYSZEWSKI**, JUSTYNA KARAŹNIEWICZ*** Department of Fundamental and Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Gagarina 7, 87-100 Toruń, Poland *Department of Pathophysiology, Forensic Veterinary Medicine and Administration, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 13, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland **Department of Large Animal Diseases with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Research Centre and Center for Biomedical Research, Warsaw University of Life Sciences WULS – SGGW, Nowoursynowska 100, 02-797 Warsaw, Poland ***Department of Criminal Procedure, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Dybowskiego 11, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland Received 08.10.2019 Accepted 18.12.2019 Felsmann M. Z., Szarek J., Sołtyszewski I., Karaźniewicz J. Ethical and legal bird hunting duties by Polish veterinarians Summary Polish veterinarians are committed to specifc behaviors. They have an obligation to actively prevent pollution of the natural environment and threats to public health. The law does not prohibit them from hunting though. Hunting birds with lead ammunition is harmful to the environment, birds and humans. In view of the above, it seems that this type of hunting should be forbidden to veterinarians. Unfortunately, Polish law makes it impossible to punish veterinary surgeons for bird hunting with lead ammunition. As hunters, veterinarians are probably aware of the harmfulness of such behavior, but they prioritize their pleasure over environmental concerns. This study examines Polish legal acts related to hunting by veterinarians and presents specifc legal provisions requiring and forbidding specifc behaviors of veterinarians. According to the law on the profession of the veterinary surgeon, members of this profession must not engage in bird hunting with lead ammunition. The study discusses the diffculty of changing the current situation and forcing Polish veterinary surgeons to abandon bird hunting with toxic ammunition and to actively fght this practice. Veterinarians, in particular those who are hunters, should actively oppose such forms of hunting that are harmful to the natural environment, especially the hunting of game birds with lead ammunition. In accordance with veterinary knowledge, ethics and deontology, all veterinarians should inform the public about the harmfulness of eating game animals shot with lead ammunition, in particular with lead pellets. Keywords: veterinary law and ethics, bird hunting, environmental pollution, lead poisoning