Year-Round Chamois Hunting Exceptions in Upper Bavaria No More: A Shifting Battlefield
Lifting of chamois hunting exemptions prohibition in Upper Bavaria reinstated - Early retirement exemptions for Gams residents in Upper Bavaria are no longer valid.
For years, Upper Bavaria has been a battleground over the controversy of year-round hunting for chamois and other wildlife in certain forest areas. However, the latest court ruling in Leipzig has put an end to it - for now.
The divided opinions on this touchy subject largely boil down to the conservation of protective forests - essential guardians against erosion, landslides, and avalanches for the settlements, infrastructure, and landscapes below. In fact, a whopping 60% of mountain forest areas serve this purpose.
The Bavarian Hunting Association, the Wildes Bayern association, and others protested against the specified areas accorded the exception regulations, challenging them in court. The Bund Naturschutz, meanwhile, supported the regulations.
The revoked 2019 regulation was retroactively invalidated by the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig in November 2024. Despite this, Upper Bavaria reinstated a similar regulation in December 2024, only to be suspended by the Bavarian Administrative Court of Appeals in January 2025. The final blow came in April 2025, when the government of Upper Bavaria revoked the regulation, announcing no successor in its place yet.
The State Forests are now reassessing options, acknowledging the necessity of controlling chamois populations in some areas year-round to protect the rehabilitating forest areas. Yet, challenges remain. The ongoing threat of landslides becomes more pressing due to climate change and bark beetle spread. Thus, intensified hunting could be crucial for transforming the forest as required.
On the other hand, Wildes Bayern sees the revoked regulation as a partial victory. They still stand against hunting cancellations, such as those in Oberallgaü. Criticizing year-round hunting as harmful to all affected wildlife species, Chairwoman Christine Miller demands thorough FFH (Nature 2000) preliminary assessments for any hunting bans.
However, Ernst Weidenbusch, president of the Hunting Association, attributes the expiration of the regulation to a logical consequence of the BJV lawsuit and Leipzig court's ruling. He suggests a more targeted follow-up regulation, confining hunting exceptions to "actual regeneration areas" and detailing the permitted hunting practices.
These opposing arguments continue to clash in a struggle for balance between forest conservation and wildlife control. As the story unfolds, it remains to be seen what measures will stand the test of time and ecological survival in Upper Bavaria.
- Upper Bavarian
- Environmental Controversy
- Bavaria
- Mountain Forest Conservation
- Bavarian Nature Conservation Association
- Hunting Debates
- Leipzig
- Sustainable Wildlife Management
- Bavarian Administrative Court
- Bavarian Hunting Association
- Protective Forests
Insights:
- The controversy in Upper Bavaria revolves around the year-round hunting of chamois, focusing on ecological protection of the forests and sustainable wildlife management.
- Opponents argue that year-round hunting threatens chamois populations, potentially causing disruptions in biodiversity. Proponents make a case for controlling chamois numbers to protect forest health and maintain the integrity of natural habitats.
- The Bavarian Administrative Court and the Federal Administrative Court have played vital roles in reviewing the legality and appropriateness of year-round hunting exceptions in Upper Bavaria's protective forests.
- The upcoming measures and regulations will hinge on striking a balance between ecological conservation priorities and the necessity for population control.
- The environmental controversy in Upper Bavaria centers on year-round hunting of chamois, with concerns for the forests' ecological protection and sustainable wildlife management.
- Opponents claim that year-round hunting could harm chamois populations and disrupt biodiversity, while proponents believe it is essential for controlling chamois numbers to preserve natural habitats.
- The Bavarian Administrative Court and the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig have been instrumental in evaluating the legality and appropriateness of year-round hunting exceptions in the protective forests of Upper Bavaria.
- The State Forests in Upper Bavaria are currently reassessing options for chamois population control, considering the ongoing threats of climate change and bark beetle spread.
- Christine Miller, Chairwoman of Wildes Bayern, is campaigning for thorough FFH (Nature 2000) preliminary assessments before any hunting bans are implemented.
- Ernst Weidenbusch, president of the Bavarian Hunting Association, suggests a more targeted follow-up regulation that confines hunting exceptions to "actual regeneration areas" and details the permitted hunting practices.
- As the situation evolves, the balance between forest conservation and wildlife control will continue to be a hot topic in Upper Bavarian politics and policy-making, with environmental science playing a significant role in informing future decisions.
