SPD will less protection for the wolf at the coast

Controversial Poacher - SPD will less protection for the wolf at the coast

Lower Saxony SPD fraction leader Grant Hendrik Tonne calls for a lower protection status for wolves in the coastal region. In Lower Saxony, the "good conservation status" of the strictly protected species has been achieved, Tonne told the Oldenburg "Nordwest-Zeitung" (Monday edition).

Differentiated regional regulations are necessary. "It's ridiculous that we can only begin regional population management when wolves appear in Duisburg or elsewhere," Tonne told the newspaper.

The SPD fraction chief in the Hannover state parliament appealed to Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) to quickly change the Federal Nature Conservation Law, allowing for the legal removal of so-called problem wolves. Lemke had promised an amendment by summer 2023. "The people along the coast are rightly concerned that things aren't moving forward on this issue," Tonne said.

The Administrative Court of Oldenburg recently halted the permit for the removal - that is, killing - of a wolf in the Aurich district. The Friends of Free Living Wolves had filed an objection against the planned shooting. The court decision is not yet legally binding. Following this, the CDU state fraction in the Landtag urged Minister-President Stephan Weil (SPD) to initiate a Bundesrat initiative to change the Federal Nature Conservation Law. Only then can a nationwide regulation be made.

The Environment Ministry referred to the fact that the Aurich district can file an appeal against the decision at the Lüneburg Administrative Court. Additionally, the European Court of Justice has ruled that the hunting ban for wolves in Austria is valid because the wolf is strictly protected. The Ministry will carefully examine both decisions.

1. The Aurich district, located in Lower Saxony, has been affected by the court's decision regarding the wolf's protection status.
2. Steffi Lemke, the Federal Environment Minister, has promised to amend the Federal Nature Conservation Law by summer 2023, addressing the concerns of regions like Aurich.
3. The SPD in the District Aurich has advocated for the adaptation of nature protection regulations to better suit the coastal region's unique needs.
4. Oldenburg's Administrative Court temporarily halted the permit for removing a wolf in the Aurich district, triggering debates about wolf management.
5. Grant Hendrik Tonne, the SPD leader in Hannover, has urged the Federal Environment Minister to expedite the amendment process, citing the concerns of residents in the coastal region.
6. According to Tonne, the current regulations hinder regional population management, and changes are necessary to address the situation more effectively.
7. In Germany, the issue of wolf conservation and its impact on agriculture and local communities in the coastal region, such as Aurich, continues to be a topic of discussion.
8. Nature protection organizations in Oldenburg, like the Friends of Free Living Wolves, have voiced their opposition to the removal of wolves in certain districts, such as Aurich.
9. The Ministry of Environment in Germany is evaluating legal decisions related to wolf protection in Lower Saxony and Austria to inform future policies and regulations.

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