Relaxed Wolves' Defenses: EU Parliament Facilitates More Wolf Slayings
European Lawmakers Endorse Increased Wolf Culling Activities
Get ready for a flame-grilled wolf dinner, folks! The EU Parliament has loosened the leash on our carnivorous forest friends. In a powder keg of a session in Strasbourg, a majority of Members of European Parliament (MEPs) voted to downgrade the wolf's protective status from "strictly protected" to "protected." This controversial move still needs a thumbs up from EU member states, but we're betting they're gung-ho for it, too. You can almost hear the cheer from farmers eager to cull these pesky predators.
Politics:
The Germans, always up for a bad decision, are already licking their lips. A representative from the Federal Ministry of the Environment stated that once the reduced protection status is approved, they can move forward with modifying national laws. It ain't automatic, but changes to the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive (FFH) won't be needed. So, the Federal Nature Conservation Act and the Federal Hunting Act are next on the chopping block, as the coalition agreement of the new government insists the EU level decision be implemented in German law post-haste. "We're securing a 'legal' removal of wolves and swiftly incorporating them into hunting law. The wolf will stay a protected species but won't be set free for open hunting. Problematic wolves, however, will likely get the axe", the rep said.
What's thedalamata Got to Say?
The Bundesrat had been screaming for easier wolf shootings, setting the stage for this wolf track of events. The Catalyst? A European Commission proposal sparked by past demands by the Parliament, transforming the FFH regarding wolves. Member states will score some leeway in handling their wolf populations, as long as a favorable conservation status remains the top priority.
Detractors, like the Greens, cry foul. They claim the decision lacks scientific backing and that there are better ways to protect farm animals without increased wolf slayings. German MEP Sebastian Everding from the animal protection party calls the entire process "sordid." "We're spiraling through the swiftest species extinction in Earth's history, and all the EU has to offer is a wolf slaughter in response to a human-caused problem – poor grazing management with insufficient herd protection," Everding snarled. Oh, and don't forget Republican old-timer Peter Liese, who said, "People are scared of wolves." Although there have been no reported human casualties, domestic animals are another story.
The debate over wolves is sizzling hot, embodied by increasing reports of livestock attacks. The predicament poses a significant challenge to grazing farmers, according to reports, with wolves even breaking into barns.
Politics:
Wolves: Soon to be Fair Game?The Federal Documentation and Advisory Centre on the Wolf reports a steep rise in livestock killed and injured by wolves over the past decade, with an estimated 5727 animals affected by 2023, most of which were sheep.
Comrade Ursula von der Leyen, our dear EU Commission President, learned firsthand just how furry and toothy these critters can be. In September 2022, a wolf in her home territory of Burgdorf-Beinhorn near Hannover grisly-grazed her 30-year-old pony, Dolly. The family was devastated.
Sources: ntv.de, lar/dpa
- Wolves
- EU Parliament
- Strasbourg
- EU
- Animal welfare
- The controversial decision by the EU Parliament in Strasbourg, downgrading the wolf's protective status, could potentially lead to more wolf slayings, as member states are now given more leeway in handling their wolf populations.
- Critics argue that this decision lacks scientific backing and contends that there are better ways to protect farm animals without increasing wolf slayings, citing poor grazing management and insufficient herd protection as root causes of the problem.
- With wolves breaking into barns and causing significant challenges for grazing farmers, the debate over wolves remains sizzling hot, as concerns over livestock attacks continue to rise.
- The steep increase in livestock killed and injured by wolves over the past decade, with an estimated 5727 animals affected by 2023, underscores the severity of the issue.
- Even high-ranking officials, such as Ursula von der Leyen, the EU Commission President, have experienced the wrath of the wolves firsthand, when a wolf in her home territory gruesomely attacked her 30-year-old pony, Dolly, in September 2022.
