Brandenburg is planning a wolf hunt: 330 wolves are to be killed!

Brandenburg is planning a wolf hunt: 330 wolves are to be killed!

What's going on in Brandenburg? One topic that is currently heating up minds is the upcoming change in hunting laws regarding wolves. Starting in the fall, the state of Brandenburg is planning a targeted wolf hunt, putting the debate about the relationship between humans and wolves back on the agenda. Loud Picture Environment State Secretary Gregor Beyer announced that he would set a shooting quota for the wolf population. Hunting and nature conservation associations as well as affected sheep farmers and experts will come together as part of a wolf plenum that is scheduled to take place on September 11th in Potsdam.

The wolf population in Brandenburg is estimated at at least 1,000 animals. In 2022, the responsible state office counted 58 wolf packs, 8 pairs and 2 solitary wolves, resulting in a population of 600 to 700 wolves. The planned measures include declaring wolves as game animals and changing the relevant laws. A new hunting method could even allow wolves to be hunted while they eat carcasses of savage animals. While this method is currently still banned, the state veterinarian has already approved its inclusion in the wolf regulations. This would make Brandenburg the first federal state to allow this controversial strategy.

Conflict between agriculture and wolf conservation

The ongoing conflicts between wolves and livestock farmers are another hot topic. In 2023, 358 wolf attacks were documented in Brandenburg, in which almost 1,500 grazing animals died. While only two wolves were legally shot, there were three illegal killings. Animal owners are demanding that politicians kill so-called “problem wolves” more quickly. In this context, reference is also made to the court ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which allows exceptions to the ban on wolf hunting under certain conditions. Wolves are protected in Brandenburg, but hunting can still take place in approved exceptional cases. However, before shooting, animal owners must take all necessary protective measures, such as RBB24 reported.

In addition, the wolf population in Brandenburg has been stagnating for years. Unlike in the past, when populations were still increasing, in 2023 only 52 packs and 190 puppies were counted in 62 territories. Citizens and animal owners are demanding effective wolf management that offers them better protection against attacks on farm animals. Unity at the political level is required here, especially with a view to the upcoming state elections.

European developments and wolf management

But wolf protection is not only being discussed in Brandenburg. There are also efforts at European level to downgrade the protection status of the wolf. An EU proposal for the Bern Convention proposes to move wolves from “strictly protected” to “protected”. The signatory states have until March 7, 2025 to lodge objections. If this does not happen, such a downgrade could also affect national legislation, such as German Wildlife Foundation warns.

In order to promote sustainable coexistence between humans and wolves, targeted wolf management with zoning into different habitats could help. These could include different zones such as core zones, free zones and peripheral zones, which provide for different approaches to the protection status of wolves. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop and whether Brandenburg will actually become the first federal state to introduce such a hunting model.