Environment Minister fights against Beyer's wolf hunting quotas - the dispute escalates!

Environment Minister fights against Beyer's wolf hunting quotas - the dispute escalates!

The discussion about the wolf population in Brandenburg continues to cause excitement in the region. Environment Minister Hanka Mittelstädt (SPD) has currently vehemently contradicted State Secretary Gregor Beyer's statements about the planned quota hunt for wolves. Beyer, who estimates the wolf population in the country at up to 1,600 animals, has announced, initiated by the problems with wolves, that 15 percent of the wolves will initially be killed, with the possibility of increasing to 35 percent. Mittelstädt, on the other hand, described these figures as “conjecture” and raised the reliability of the estimate for discussion.

As rbb24 reports, this debate is already running through the media and has clearly polarized the public. The Environment Minister refers to the results of wolf monitoring by the State Office for the Environment, which only recorded 58 wolf packs in the period 2023/24. These numbers cast Beyer's estimates into doubt.

Wolf monitoring in Brandenburg

The monitoring of wolves in Brandenburg is carried out actively in all known territories and is contractually secured. At the end of a wolf year, which ends on April 30th, the results are evaluated. This usually happens at a national monitoring meeting of the federal states in the fall, where the data is coordinated. The results are then updated and added to the respective distribution maps. According to the State Office for the Environment, wolf pairs often have to wait a long time until winter to establish themselves, which limits the detection time until April.

The publication of an interim assessment of dissemination is also on the agenda, and changes can be made to the dissemination maps retroactively. This gives authorities the opportunity to keep statistics current and relevant.

Criticism of the quota hunt

In the midst of this heated debate, the perspectives of nature conservation associations such as Nabu and BUND also fit in. These organizations not only criticize Beyer's numbers, but also the fundamental decision for quota hunts. BUND managing director Axel Kruschat emphasizes that the figures presented do not correspond to the facts and rather serve a political purpose.

Mittelstädt sees itself in a difficult position as a result of Beyer's statements, particularly in view of the upcoming Wolf Dialogue on September 11th. This is intended to provide a platform to discuss effective wolf management with nature conservation associations, animal owners, hunters and land users. This means that not only the well-being of the wolves, but also the dialogue between the various interest groups is the focus of considerations.

The situation surrounding wolves in Brandenburg shows once again that dealing with nature and its inhabitants is always a sensitive issue that requires many perspectives to be taken into account. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop and what decisions will be made as part of the Wolf Dialogue.