Post-EU Vote, Minister and Hunters Cheer Simplified Wolf Management
Supporters Among Political Leaders and Wolf Hunters Push for Streamlined Wolf Killing Practices - Advocate for Relaxed Wolf Hunting Rules: Minister and Hunter Align on Simplified Shooting Measures
Dealing with the Hunt Straight
The Minister of Agriculture for Brandenburg, Hanka Mittelstaedt (SPD), is applauding the alteration in EU wolf handling. "I'm chuffed to bits that there's a shift on a European level when it comes to managing wolves," the minister shared. Now, the game is afoot to set things in motion on a national level to better handle wolf management.
Brandenburg, the federal state with the highest wolf count, says the ministry. In March, the state launched an initiative for improved regulation of the wolf population to shield grazing animals in the Bundesrat. "Our aim isn't to kick the wolf out of Germany once and for all," Mittelstaedt stated. However, the rural populace and livestock owners' interests must be addressed.
Strasbourg’s Ballot
A majority of Members of the European Parliament voted in Strasbourg through an emergency procedure to lower the status of wolves from "strictly protected" to "protected." While this adjustment still needs acceptance from EU member states, it's considered a formality.
They had already called for a reduction in numbers. Many countries want to take more wolves out to safeguard their grazing animals.
CDU Puts Foot on the Accelerator
Julian Brünning, the hunting policy spokesman for the CDU faction in the state parliament, pressed the state and federal governments to act swiftly and decisively:"Brandenburg's particularly affected by the highest wolf density in Europe due to the lack of management," it said in a statement. He considered the decision of the EU Parliament a "boon for the countryside and protection of man and beast."
The State Hunting Association Brandenburg (LJVB) also welcomed the move:"Brussels' done it - now Berlin better follow suit. The federal government must immediately include the wolf as a hunt-able species in the Federal Hunting Act," said President Dirk-Henner Wellershoff. The wolf population growth in recent years, explained Wellershoff, has gotten out of hand.
LJVB: Regular Hunting, Limits, and Seasons
The LJVB demanded regular wolf hunting as another tool for herd protection, a significant reduction in numbers, the introduction of a permanent hunting season, and the definition of an upper limit for Brandenburg's wolf population.
The Fur and the Feathers Fly
Environmentalists, however, raised concern:"The hunt on wolves is now fundamentally possible again - a grim day for wildlife and nature conservation in Europe!" said the head of the specialist department for wildlife at the German Animal Protection Association, James Brückner. Scientifically, Brückner maintains the decision is unjustifiable.
All studies indicate that decreasing wolf populations alone does not lead to fewer attacks on grazing animals. Brückner urged the federal government and other EU countries to focus on coexistence between grazing animals, wolves, and humans over the long term, in the interest of animal and species protection.
EU
Wolf
Brandenburg
EU Parliament
Wolves
Hanka Mittelstaedt
Minister of Agriculture
SPD
Hunters
CDU
Potsdam
Europe
Fast-track procedure
Wolf population
Bundesrat
Germany
The EU Parliament's recent decision to amend the wolf's protection status under the EU Habitats Directive allows member states greater flexibility to manage wolf populations, including culling under certain conditions. While the decision aims to address conflicts with livestock farming and rural communities, criticism from conservationists warns of potential ecological consequences.
- The Minister of Agriculture for Brandenburg, Hanka Mittelstaedt, is pleased with the EU's shift in wolf management, as it opens doors for national changes in employment policy regarding wolf management.
- In Brandenburg, which has the highest wolf count among EU countries, there is an ongoing initiative for the improvement of the wolf population's regulation to protect grazing animals.
- A majority of Members of the European Parliament, through a fast-track procedure, voted to lower the status of wolves from "strictly protected" to "protected," a decision that still requires acceptance from EU member states.
- The CDU faction in Brandenberg's state parliament is urging swift action from both the state and federal governments to address the high wolf density in the region, following the EU Parliament's decision.
- The State Hunting Association Brandenburg (LJVB) has called for the wolf to be included in the Federal Hunting Act, suggesting regular wolf hunting, restrictions on wolf numbers, and a permanent hunting season as potential measures for managing the wolf population.
