Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke has called for more “problem wolves” to be killed. “It is possible to shoot down wolves that have learned to climb higher fences or get too close to people and can be carried out by the federal states in accordance with the law. This possibility should be used more in the future,” said the Green politician in an interview the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (NOZ).
“We want to ensure that the procedures are less bureaucratic and more practical.” Kills are necessary “to maintain acceptance for the protection of wolves,” Lemke emphasized. Everyone involved must have legal certainty if a shooting license is granted.
In order to calm the “heated discussions” about how to deal with wolves, the minister is also counting on more help for wolf kills: In Saxony-Anhalt there are compensation payments for farmers and shepherds and support for pasture protection. “As a result, the discussions there are now much more objective and constructive. I hope that we can do that well everywhere.”
“We have to learn to live with wolves again”
It is important to keep the balance between nature conservation and the protection of grazing animals: “We have to learn to live with wolves again. If we as humans claim that we are the only ones who are allowed to take advantage of nature on this planet, then it will be very difficult , become very lonely around us,” said Lemke of the “NOZ”.
Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) announced on Thursday that he wanted to raise the issue of wolves at the next prime ministers’ conference. “I’m sure there are a number of colleagues from other countries, especially from East Germany, who have at least as much pressure here as we do here.” According to State Environment Minister Christian Meyer (Greens), state funds for protecting grazing animals from wolf attacks will more than double this year in Lower Saxony.
