Meeting of environment ministers - How should wolf culls be made easier?
In view of the significant increase in wolf attacks on livestock in Germany, federal and state environment ministers see a need for swift action. However, the proposals of Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) for faster shooting of individual wolves are not enough for all state representatives.
It was with this in mind that the heads of government began their two-day fall conference in Münster, Westphalia, on Thursday, with the wolf as the central topic. Livestock farmers protested outside the conference venue, demanding further steps to regulate the wolf population. Shepherds point to economic damage that threatens their livelihoods.
Wolf attacks
According to a research project by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, the number of attacks on livestock rose to 1136 cases in 2022. In the process, 4366 farm animals were killed or injured. Sheep were the most affected (3778 cases), followed by cattle (260), wild game (184) and goats (91). Compared to 2021, the number of attacks increased by 17 percent and the number of farm animals affected by 29 percent. According to the evaluation, there have been few or no attacks in many wolf territories, but an increase in other areas. According to the Federal Ministry for the Environment, there have been no wolf attacks on humans since the wolf returned to Germany over 20 years ago.
Shooting wolves
The shooting of individual conspicuous wolves is already possible under certain conditions in the federal states. According to data from the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, twelve wolves have been killed in Germany since 2017 with the approval of the authorities in several federal states. At the same time, 65 illegal wolf killings have been discovered. Environmental organizations are against the general hunting of wolves. In BUND's view, this is also not a solution because most livestock kills were of unprotected grazing animals. BUND is calling for nationwide herd protection with minimum standards.
Policy plans
Lemke proposes that the federal states define certain regions with increased wolf predation. If a wolf has overcome protective measures such as a fence and killed a grazing animal, it should be allowed to be shot for 21 days by special permit - within a radius of 1000 meters around the pasture. Unlike in the past, it will not be necessary to wait for a DNA analysis. Until now, genetic tests based on bite and feeding marks have been considered necessary to allow shooting.
Points of contention
To make it easier to shoot wolves, Bavaria is calling on Lemke to lower the legal hurdles and protection status. "We don't need legal advice, we need a change in the law. The federal government must finally do its homework," said Environment Minister Thorsten Glauber (Free Voters). Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Environment Minister Till Backhaus (SPD) is also calling for federal regulations to deal with wolves that have scaled protective fences and killed livestock. In his view, Lemke's proposals are too vague to stand up in court.
Federal view
According to the Federal Environment Ministry, the wolf remains a strictly protected species under European law. The proposed faster shooting of problem wolves is intended to give livestock owners more security and is in line with European species protection. The federal government does not believe it is necessary to amend federal nature conservation law, which already allows the shooting of wolves with problematic behavior. The federal states could implement Lemke's proposals in the near future. The joint interpretation of the law by the federal and state governments is to be documented in a resolution. The federal government highlights herd protection measures such as fences and livestock guarding dogs as the most effective measures for protecting livestock.
Support
Heads of department from the Green Party have signaled their support for Lemke's plan. Lower Saxony's Environment Minister Christian Meyer, for example, called for uniform rules throughout Germany and warned against the states trying to outbid each other by relaxing the rules. The federal government and Brandenburg do not consider shooting according to certain quotas to be legally compliant with federal nature conservation law, said the state's environment minister, Axel Vogel (Greens). "We are dealing with individual animals that are very adept at overcoming herd protection measures. We have to do something about this in order to maintain acceptance of the wolf as a whole," said NRW Environment Minister Oliver Krischer (Greens), who is chairing the conference.
Lesen Sie auch:
- The increase in wolf attacks on livestock in Germany has sparked a need for immediate action from federal and state environment ministers, particularly in the agrarian regions like North Rhine-Westphalia.
- At the two-day fall conference in Münster, Environment Minister Steffi Lemke proposed allowing the faster shooting of problem wolves in regions with high wolf predation on farm animals.
- Sheep and cattle have been the most affected animals in these attacks, with 3778 and 260 cases, respectively, in 2022.
- Steffi Lemke's plan has received support from heads of departments in the Green Party, such as Lower Saxony's Environment Minister Christian Meyer.
- However, critics, like Bavaria's Environment Minister Thorsten Glauber, argue that the legal hurdles for shooting wolves should be lowered to address the issue more effectively.
- According to environmental organizations, general hunting of wolves is not a solution and instead calls for nationwide herd protection with minimum standards.
- The Federal Ministry for the Environment highlights herd protection measures such as fences and livestock guarding dogs as the most effective ways to protect farm animals from wolf attacks.
- Despite some opposition, Steffi Lemke's proposals are in line with European species protection laws and could potentially be implemented by the federal states in the near future.
Source: www.stern.de
