I could go on about Continentals, foraging and the reasons behind it for ages. I am myself by birth a German, have a German Passport as well as a British one and spent nearly 20 years there.
During WW2 and immediately post WW2 there was a drastic shortage of many basics and staples in many countries not favoured with American supplies. Therefore in Germany and occupied Europe people maintained and developed their foraging, herbal and agricultural/gardening skills. At the basic level Ersatz Kaffee, made from acorns, a vick substitue made from Camomile (hanging drying in my Garage at the moment), nettle soup, dandelion salad. True, we take such things for granted in a bushy way, but for the inhabitants of the mainland they were the difference between having and not having. My mothers parents had a hotel and property in Rostock, but by the time she was 10 she had out of necessity learned to slaughter and prepare poultry and rabbits, milk cows and goats and a host of other things..........other than that she used to push a pram around with the other kids collecting bricks from bombed buildings so that they could be used to rebuild houses.
The former Warsaw Pact, or new Europeans, did not have the benefit of US aid post WW2 so they continued to make do. I had family in East Germany during the bad old days and heard all the stories about cardboard cars, the jokes about artificial artificial leather shoes and queuing for whatever was available at the front of the queue. I remember being told about a visit to the bakers shop, there was nothing on the shelves as in totally empty, the daily order of breadrolls for everyone was kept in the back so that no one could see what was there. I was never allowed to East Germany as was, but I know that when relatives visited they loaded a car and trailer with everything from sugar and salt to microwave ovens and washing machines.
Because of their shortages and isolation the Eastern Europeans developed a culture of get it if you can which bordered on the criminal. The law enforcement and judicial system they had to contend with included secret police, state police, military police and even the Gulags, so they became very adept at surreptitious petty criminality. They are now free to travel and when they come to western countries they see a smorgasbord of opportunity in front of them. One reason is that the police are limited in their ability to deal with foreigners because they do not speak Polish or Serbo Croat. The major reason though is that the british Police in contrast to Police Forces in former WP States is like a bunch of boy scouts and is more or less restricted to giving someone a severe telling off. Even if it does come to jail time, our jails here a like convalescence homes compared to jails in eastern europe.
Its pretty much a conversation I had with an American DEA Agent and a Judge in Tampa a couple of years ago, the eastern Europeans come over and to them, where we live looks like Disney World with no security or controls. I could go on about how the eastern Europeans have stepped into several areas of criminal enterprise telling home grown criminals they should consider early retirement but its not appropriate here.
I do clearly remember my childhood in Germany and Austria when I used to go mushrooming on my own[mainly in the Eifel], I had learned exactly what was what and always used to get home with a basket full of Pilze
nowadays all I know is that I buy my mushrooms in a punnet in a supermarket, well at least until my mushrooms logs start producing.
Sorry if I have gone on a bit, but I have had a foot in both cultures for 45 years now.
. 
there are now signs in various languages warning its illegal to steal the wildlife, Im sure thats going to put a stop to it
I think our illusrtious peasantish forebear's ate pike, eels etc wots the problem? Why the distinctoin between game and coarse fish?
