08 May No shooting of wolves according to the lawnmower principle!

Posted at 13:34h in Press by

MEP Manuela Ripa (ÖDP) calls for better herd protection instead of destruction of wolf packs

It should be easier to hunt wild wolves in the EU in future. On Thursday, the European Parliament in Strasbourg voted in favor of lowering the protection status of wolves from "strictly protected" to "protected" under the EU Habitats Directive. Manuela Ripa, MEP for the Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP), sharply criticizes this decision and warns against a "shoot-to-kill approach".

"Every wolf kill is one too many," emphasizes Ripa. "The concerns of livestock farmers are justified and must be taken seriously." It is therefore necessary to strike a balance between the protection of nature and biodiversity on the one hand and the justified concerns of farmers on the other - a challenge.

In view of the problem, the first step must be to consistently implement the current laws and make use of existing opportunities, said Ripa. "Above all, we need good herd protection. Take Brandenburg, for example: thanks to strong protective measures, the number of attacks there has fallen considerably." Effective fences, well-trained guard dogs, the removal of bureaucratic hurdles, targeted and individual advice - all of this helps grazing animal owners.

However, the ÖDP politician emphasizes that an untargeted hunt as part of a quota shooting of wolves would not make sense. "Shooting wolves according to the lawnmower principle would be fatal. Studies show, for example, that indiscriminate shooting can destroy the pack structure. This makes it possible for surviving animals to change their hunting strategies and even more so to attack grazing animals." The targeted removal of wolves by expert hunters could be appropriate "where wolves have learned to overcome even good herd protection."

"A coexistence of wolves and pasture farming is only possible with good herd protection," says Ripa. "This is not only ecologically sensible, but also necessary to create acceptance for wolves in rural regions." It is also important to emphasize: "The vast majority of wolves are completely inconspicuous and do not cause any harm, but help to maintain the ecological balance. They are not dangerous to humans anyway."

Background

With 58 wolf packs, Brandenburg has the highest wolf density of all federal states. In Brandenburg, the number of livestock losses and kills has been declining over the last three years - despite increasing wolf density and patchy herd protection measures. In the period 2023/24, the number of wolves in Brandenburg increased by 12.6% to a total of 484 animals. At the same time, the number of attacks on livestock fell significantly - from 358 cases in 2023 to 279 in 2024, a decrease of 22 %. (1)

Studies from other EU countries show that hunting wolves does not reduce bite rates: in Slovakia, for example, there were no noticeable effects (2), while in Slovenia bite rates did not fall even after 15 years of hunting (3).