SHARE
COPY LINK

POLITICS

Why Germany is debating a plan to cull more wolves

A hunting debate is underway in Germany after Environment Minister Steffi Lemke said she wanted to make it easier to cull wolves in order to better protect grazing animals such as sheep.

Wolf
A wolf at the Wisentgehege Springe wildlife park near Hanover. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Julian Stratenschulte

“The culling of wolves after livestock attacks needs to be faster and less bureaucratic,” the Green Party politician told newspaper Die Welt.

“When dozens of sheep are killed and left dead in the pasture, it is a tragedy for every livestock farmer and a great burden for those affected. That’s why they need more support and security.”

The minister said she intended to present specific proposals at the end of September.

But not everyone agrees an expanded cull is the way forward. Environmental group Friends of the Earth Germany was quick to reject the plan.

“Experience from other EU countries clearly shows that gunshot-based measures do not sustainably reduce livestock losses,” said wolf expert Uwe Friedel.

The country’s Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union shared that view.

“Whether there are five or eight wolves in a region, they pose a risk to unprotected livestock. Culling does not make wolves keep more distance from livestock,” said spokesperson Marie Neuwald.

READ ALSO: ‘Germany’s most politicised animal’: How wild wolves are causing a stir

Even if the government goes ahead with its plans, implementation is complicated: in Germany, federal states are responsible for wolf management. Wolves currently enjoy high protection status both under German and EU law. In some regions, however, there are doubts as to whether this protected status is still justified due to larger populations.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) also expressed openness to lowering the strict protection status of the wolf at the end of July.

“It is correct that endangered species must be protected. However, if in certain regions the species is no longer endangered, we must also treat the wolf differently and, for example, cull them,” she said.

Although the protection of wolves is regulated by international law, local people’s living conditions must also be taken into account, she said.

The wolf, which had been extinct in Germany since the mid-19th century, has made a broad comeback in states like Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Saxony since its return around the turn of the millennium.

Wolves are known to attack livestock such as sheep, goats, and calves. According to the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, there are approximately 1,200 wolves in Germany based on wolf monitoring data for 2021/2022. The animals are spread across 161 packs, 43 wolf pairs, and 21 solitary wolves. Previous wolf culls, such as in Brandenburg in March, have been heavily criticised by many animal protection and environmental organisations.

According to the Federal Documentation and Consultation Centre on Wolves (DBBW), an average of 3.8 animals were killed per wolf attack in 2022. Of the livestock killed or injured by wolves in 2022 in Germany, 88.6 percent were sheep and goats, 4.2 percent were livestock in enclosures, and 6 percent were cattle (mostly calves). The number of livestock killed or injured in 2014 was less than 500, but according to the DBBW, this rose to over 4,000 in 2022.

Member comments

  1. There must be better ways than to cull.
    1200 wolves in all of Germany is not a lot.They have to eat something 4000 livestock (out of how many)
    I know the farmers suffer financial loss are they compensated in any way? They must be insured.
    I have not seen any shortages in the butchers.
    Better fencing around livestock, maybe with governmental aid.

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

GERMAN CITIZENSHIP

German conservatives vow to overturn dual citizenship if re-elected

Foreigners in Germany are waiting on tenterhooks for the introduction of the new dual nationality law on Thursday - but the centre-right CDU and CSU say they would overturn the reform if re-elected next year.

German conservatives vow to overturn dual citizenship if re-elected

“The CDU and CSU will reverse this unsuccessful reform,” Alexander Throm (CDU), spokesperson on domestic policy for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, told DPA on Tuesday.

“Dual citizenship must remain the exception and be limited to countries that share our values.”

Throm also criticised the new citizenship law for reducing the amount of time foreigners need to live in the country before naturalising as Germans, describing the new residence requirements as “far too short”.

“After five or even three years, it is not yet possible to determine with certainty whether integration has been successful in the long term,” he stated.

“The recent caliphate demonstrations and the rampant Islamist extremism, often by people with German passports, must be a wake-up call for us all.”

READ ALSO: Which foreign residents are likely to become German after citizenship law change?

Despite vociferous opposition, the alliance between the Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party (CSU) was powerless to stop the traffic-light coalition’s citizenship reform passing in both the Bundestag and Bundesrat earlier this year. 

The reform, which permits the holding of multiple passports, lowers residence requirements and removes language hurdles for certain groups, is set to come into force on June 27th. 

But with the CDU and CSU emerging as clear winners in the recent EU parliamentary elections and regularly landing on 30 percent or above in the polls, it’s possible that the party could be on course to re-enter government next year. 

In this situation, the centre-right parties have pledged to try and undo what senior CDU politicians have described as a “dangerous” reform.

“It is not unusual for successive governments to reverse decisions made by the previous government,” Andrea Lindholz, the head of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group said in a recent response to a question

“We will maintain our position on this and will continue to strive for a corresponding change.”

READ ALSO: What are citizenship offices around Germany doing to prepare for the new law?

Whether the CDU and CSU can secure enough votes at both state and federal elections to change the law in the future remains to be seen.

The parties may also have to compromise on their plans with any future coalition partner, such as the Greens, Social Democrats (SPD) or Free Democrats (FDP), all of whom support liberal immigration laws and the holding of multiple nationalities. 

‘Citizenship devaluation law’

The CDU and CSU parties, which form a centre-right alliance nicknamed the Union, have long been opposed to dual nationality in Germany.

During their years of governing in a so-called grand coalition with the centre-right Social Democrats (SPD), the parties had regularly made reforms of citizenship one of their red lines, citing the danger of hostile nations influencing Germany from within. 

In a recent parliamentary speech back in January, Throm had slammed the bill as a “citizenship devaluation law” and accused the government of trying to generate a new electorate to win votes.

CDU politician Alexander Throm speaks in a debate in the German Bundestag

CDU politician Alexander Throm speaks in a debate in the German Bundestag. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Soeder

In comments aimed primarily at Germany’s large Turkish diaspora, the CDU politician claimed that people who had lived in Germany for decades but not taken German citizenship had already chosen their old country over Germany.

The majority of Turks in Germany are also supporters of the authoritarian president Recep Erdogan, he argued.

Responding to the claims, FDP migration expert Ann-Veruschka Jurisch said the opposition was fuelling resentments against migrants by claiming the government was “squandering German citizenship”.

In fact, she argued, the reform has tightened up requirements by ensuring that people who claim benefits and cannot support themselves are unable to become German citizens.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about Germany’s citizenship law reform

In addition, the B1 language requirements have only been softened in a few exceptional cases, for example to honour the lifetime achievements of the guest worker generation who had few opportunities when they arrived, Jurisch said. 

If foreigners have committed crimes, the authorities will be able to investigate whether these involved racist or anti-Semitic motives before citizenship is granted, she added. 

With reporting by DPA

SHOW COMMENTS