After EU Vote, Minister and Hunters Call for Simplified Wolf Culling in Brandenburg
Advocates, including ministers and hunters, push for streamlined methods in wolf hunting. - Advocate for Simplified Wolf Hunting Supported by Government Official and Hunter
Get ready for some talk about wolves and the changes happening in Brandenburg, Germany! The EU Parliament recently voted to allow wolves to be shot more easily, and Brandenburg's Minister of Agriculture, Hanka Mittelstaedt (SPD), is all for it. "I'm stoked about the change in strategy when it comes to wolves on the EU level," the minister said. Brandenburg thinks it's time for some wolf management action on a national level too.
Brandenburg is famously known for having the most wolf population, with the ministry explaining so in a statement. In March, the state introduced an initiative to manage the wolf population better to protect livestock in the Bundesrat. "We ain't trying to kick wolves out of Germany again," Mittelstaedt clarified, but she insisted that the legitimate interests of rural populations and livestock farmers must be considered.
Speaking of which, MEPs had a majority vote in Strasbourg to downgrade the wolf status from "strictly protected" to "protected." This change still needs adoption by EU member states, but it's looking likely. They'd already voted a majority to lower the protection level because many countries wanted to shoot more wolves to safeguard their livestock.
The CDU called for swift action from the state and federal governments. In a statement, they urged Brandenburg and Germany to act fast and decisively. "Brandenburg is taking a beating due to the highest wolf density in Europe due to lack of management," the CDU said. They see the EU Parliament's decision as a major win for rural areas and human/animal protection.
The State Hunting Association of Brandenburg (LJVB) also cheered the decision. LJVB's president, Dirk-Henner Wellershoff, expressed his thoughts: "Brussels did it - now Berlin's turn. The federal government must immediately include wolves in the Federal Hunting Act." The wolf population has grown out of control over the years, Wellershoff explained.
The LJVB is pushing for regular wolf hunting as part of their management strategy, a significant reduction in the population, a permanent hunting season, and an upper limit for the wolf population in Brandenburg.
However, some environmentalists have expressed their concerns. James Brückner, the head of the wildlife department at the German Animal Protection Association, called the potential wolf hunt a "black day for species and nature conservation in Europe!" He questioned the science behind reducing the wolf population to stop attacks on livestock. He urged the federal government and other EU countries to focus on long-term coexistence between livestock, wolves, and humans from an animal and species protection perspective.
- EU
- Wolf
- Brandenburg
- EU Parliament
- Wolves
- Hanka Mittelstaedt
- Minister of Agriculture
- SPD
- Hunters
- Federal Government
- Strasbourg
- CDU
- Potsdam
- Environmentalists
- German Animal Protection Association
Brandenburg is moving towards implementing wolf culling policies, with more flexible management measures aimed at controlling the wolf population. This shift in enforcement follows the EU Parliament's vote downgrading the wolf protection status, with plans to introduce formal regulations in 2025 that would allow controlled wolf hunting as a management tool [1][2]. Both farmers and hunting groups in Brandenburg view culling as essential to protect livestock and traditional land use. Conservation organizations, however, demand a more inclusive debate and caution against relaxing protections without comprehensive impact assessments [1].
- Hanka Mittelstaedt, the Minister of Agriculture from the SPD party in Brandenburg, supports the EU Parliament's decision to allow wolves to be shot more easily.
- Brandenburg is home to the highest wolf population in Europe and has already introduced an initiative to manage the wolf population better to protect livestock.
- The CDU in Brandenburg urgently calls for swift action from the state and federal governments to address the problem of high wolf density.
- The State Hunting Association of Brandenburg advocates for regular wolf hunting as part of a management strategy, including a permanent hunting season and an upper limit for the wolf population.
- James Brückner, head of the wildlife department at the German Animal Protection Association, is worried about the potential for relaxation of wolf protections and the potential consequences on species and nature conservation in Europe.
