CDU demands: Lower Saxony must finally clarify wolf management!

CDU demands: Lower Saxony must finally clarify wolf management!

in Lower Saxony, the debate is bubbling about the wolf: The CDU calls on all federal states, especially Lower Saxony, to finally report the beneficial state of maintenance of the wolf to the EU Commission. This is the only way to clarify the constant dispute over the animal's protection status. The wolf management in Germany is subject to a paradigm shift that is supported by the latest scientific knowledge, as well as the regular FFH reports. "The wolf population is already sufficiently large, well networked and survival in the long term," said Silvia Breher, MdB, and Dr. Marco Mohrmann, Mdl. The following applies to them: Political reviews must rely on a legally clean basis, as the FFH directive prescribes. This defines clear minimum requirements that are fulfilled and does not provide for the overstretching of requirements that contradict EU law.

In this context, the judgment of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on the FFH guideline underlines that the shooting of wolves should be regarded as an absolute exception. Before the exercise of such measures, all protective precautions, such as fences or protective dogs, would have to be exhausted. The ECJ has also made it clear that economic damage and high costs for herd protection are not legitimate reasons for a shooting, a point that sharply criticized the current wolf policy of Lower Saxony's Environment Minister Christian Meyer. The need for financial support for animal owners is essential to optimize herd protection.

political responsibility and downgrading the protection status

But that was not all: A possible downgrading of the wolf in the Bern Convention is also discussed across the political ranks. At the table in Brussels there are changes that could not only affect the wolf, but also other protected species. The dispute over the requirements of the FFH guideline is heated by checking the legal criteria for exemptions. The ECJ requires a strict examination before withdrawal is carried out.

The discussion about the wolf has been in progress for years, and it remains open whether the supporters of the shooting recognize the judgment of the ECJ. In the meantime, NABU makes it clear that herd protection measures represent the central challenge in wolf management. The wolf feeds over 95 percent of wild animals, and wolves do not learn through hunting to keep away from pastures. Rather, it requires complex solutions to overcome a conflict of goals between large prey.

demands for sustainable solutions

Guy Meyer, Environment Minister of Lower Saxony, is asked to act and to ensure the necessary herd protection. In addition, Prime Minister Stephan Lies has to take on responsibility and create clear guidelines for legally secure wolf management. The CDU in Lower Saxony calls for sustainable inventory regulation and emphasizes that a comprehensive return of the wolve is not a legal obligation, but a political decision.

A thought remains: The great challenges in wolf management not only require political expression of will, but also a clear strategy that brings the needs of the owners and nature in line. The voices after a legally secure, responsible regulation and a focus on herd protection become louder. Lower Saxony is at a turning point, and that feels more than after a mere political debate - it's about the good reputation of wolf in our nature.

The upcoming decisions could have far-reaching consequences and a deep impact on the future coexistence of humans and animals in Lower Saxony as well as on the entire EU species protection policy.

For more information: cdu-niedersachsen.de | tierschutzniedersachsen.de | nabu.de .