BJV demands revolution: forest in front of game should fall!

BJV demands revolution: forest in front of game should fall!

The Bavarian Hunting Association (BJV) has called for a fundamental change in a current debate about the Bavarian Forest Act. A decision by the BJV Presidium provides for the abolition of the previous principle "forest in front of game". This principle has been anchored in the Bavarian Forest Act since 2005 and puts the preservation of a natural forest in the foreground by presuming a restriction of the game population in favor of forestry. The BJV argues that this principle is unconstitutional and violates Article 20a of the Basic Law, according to which the protection of the natural livelihood and the protection of biodiversity must be treated equally. PNP reports that ...

Ernst Weidenbusch, the President of the BJV, criticized the current regulation as a prioritization of profit about animal welfare. The association advocates more personal responsibility for hunters and forest owners and calls for a comprehensive reform of the forest law. Specific changes can also be seen in the discussion about a announced amendment to the Hunting Act in Bavaria, which would like to partially abolish the shooting plans for Rehwild. So far, these plans have stated how much deer deer has to be shot to minimize the damage caused by wild verb in forests, but according to the BJV, they have not contributed significantly to reduce these damage.

claims and concerns

The BJV has created a position paper on the reform of the forest law, in which a compensation for interests between forest and game is required. Weidenbusch sees the adoption of the principle of "forest before game" a necessary step to promote biodiversity in the Bavarian Forest. He would like to delete the sentence "Taking into account the principle of" Wald before game "from Article 1 of the Forest Act in order to create space for new regulations. However, there is a risk that such a step endangers the forest conversion in times of climate change. Br.de emphasizes that ...

Forest Minister Michaela Kaniber (CSU), on the other hand, warns that high shell stations have negative effects on the future of forests. This is also confirmed by experts from the Bund Naturschutz (BN), who consider the principle "forest in front of game" to be essential. Christine Markgraf, expert in species protection at BN, describes the BJV's proposals as a reality. The federal government would like to stick to the existing shooting plans created by the lower hunting authorities based on forest reports in order to protect the balance between game management and forest protection. Ralf Straußberger, BN hunting officer, also warns that high wild stocks endanger the forest rejuvenation.

criticism of the shooting plans

The discussion about the abolition of the shooting plans is accompanied by the argument that they have not been effective in the past. In the 1970s, around 100,000 deer were shot in Bavaria, while the number has now increased to 350,000 to 370,000. The BJV calls for a closer look at the overall situation of the forest, including analysis of water situation, tree species and soil quality in order to optimize the shooting planning. Furthermore, the Association suggests that the forest law be added to an article on the tasks and content of the forest report in order to create a better basis for decisions. …