From 1989 to 1997, there was no substantive control over the destructiveness of privatization. Between 1989 and 1993, a nascent environmental movement emerged in Hungary, but it was largely ineffective and waned in the following years due to too much competition for the same limited resources and not enough working together. Each loses its strength in the fight for money and for acceptance by the state and society at large. Hungary therefore remains an exception, even in Central Europe, in its low level of environmental awareness. Privatization and economic growth are often priorities which crowd the environment out of the public s awareness.
Many Hungarian businesses are bitterly opposed to environmental regulations.
The state still provides only minimal support for the environment, and even this is gradually dwindling. Pal and his Foundation for Otters established in 1995 are fighting to raise awareness of environmental protection through his work with otters and wetlands. The Foundation for Otters is the only organization in Hungary which concerns itself specifically with otters and their habitats. Pal has discovered that the endangered otters are an effective symbol of environmental degradation throughout Europe, and can be used to mobilize public support for wetlands conservation, the maintenance of green corridors, and the fight against illegal poaching. Pal also focuses on otters because they sit at the top of the food chain and are therefore important indicators of environmental quality.