Survey: Most Poles believe that logging and hunting should not be allowed in the Białowieża Forest

The majority of Poles, i.e. from 84 to 92 percent, depending on where they live, believe that the Białowieża Forest should be protected in such a way as to ensure that natural processes take precedence, according to a new public opinion survey. The majority of respondents do not support logging or hunting in the forest.

The nationwide public opinion survey was conducted in May 2025 by Quantify on behalf of the Institute of Environmental Protection - National Research Institute (IOŚ-PIB) on a representative sample of 1,600 adult Poles (aged 18 and over). The sample was divided into three groups: nationwide (1,000 people), residents of the Podlaskie Voivodeship (300 people) and residents of communes located directly in the Białowieża Forest (300 people).

The aim of the study was to learn about social attitudes towards the protection of the Forest and to determine the level of knowledge of inhabitants of various regions of the country about this unique area.

The survey results showed that between 96 and 100 percent of respondents – depending on their place of residence – had heard of the Białowieża Forest. Importantly, the vast majority of respondents – between 78 and 84 percent – ​​who had heard of the forest are aware that the area is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

When asked whether the Białowieża Forest is currently protected to a sufficient degree, about half of the respondents – i.e. 41% of the residents of the Podlaskie province, 50% of the national group and 63% of the residents of the forest area – answered that the degree of protection is sufficient.

At the same time, the majority of respondents – 84% of residents of the Podlaskie province, 89% of residents of municipalities in the forest and 92% of the nationwide group – believe that the entire area of ​​the Białowieża Forest should be protected to a degree that ensures the priority of natural processes, and human interference should only occur in those places where it is necessary to preserve biodiversity (e.g. mowing meadows).

The survey also revealed that most respondents do not support the extraction of timber in the forest – this position was expressed by 70% of residents of the Podlaskie province, 77% of residents of the forest area and 79% of the national group. Similar results were obtained in response to the question of whether hunting should be conducted in the Białowieża Forest – 71% of residents of the forest area, 76% of the Podlaskie province and 77% of the national group were against it.

"In times of climate crisis and progressive loss of biodiversity, the voice of society regarding the protection of the Białowieża Forest cannot be ignored. It is no longer just a matter of science or politics - it is a question of our common values. Responsibility for the forest is shared and results from concern for future generations" - commented on the results of the study, Deputy Director for Climate Change and International Cooperation at IOŚ-PIB Ilona Jędrasik, quoted in a press release sent to PAP. As she assessed, the results of the study show that this concern is very strong in Poles - regardless of whether they live in Warsaw, Białystok or in the immediate vicinity of the forest.

According to experts from IOŚ-PIB, these results constitute an important social voice in the debate on the future of one of the last lowland forests of primeval character in Europe. (PAP)

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