Agrarian: Peasants push for wolf-free regions under red-green

Lower Saxony's farmers are demanding tougher action against the wolf from the new state government.

Agrarian: Peasants push for wolf-free regions under red-green

Lower Saxony's farmers are demanding tougher action against the wolf from the new state government. Politicians must now show their colors as to whether animals should continue to be seen on the pasture or not, said the Vice President of the rural people, Jörn Ehlers, who also speaks for the active wolf management alliance. The Environment Ministry would be well advised to allow grazing, he said. This included an "immediate population regulation" of wolves and wolf-free regions. In addition, farmers would have to be reimbursed for all costs caused by wolves, such as the construction of fences, additional working hours, material or dogs for herd protection, Ehlers appealed.

It is still unclear whether the Ministry of the Environment under a red-green government will be led by the SPD as before or by the Greens in the future. However, it is considered realistic that the Greens' top candidate Christian Meyer could take over the department.

The Greens have rejected upper limits for the wolf population as well as a general hunt in their election program. Only in exceptional cases should individual wolves be killed. However, the party wants to support the animal owners, for example with a grazing animal bonus and compensation in the event of wolf kills.

"Our grazers will continue to fight for their grazing animals, after all it is the natural habitat of the animals," announced Country Folk Vice Ehlers. For the required wolf-free regions, the association refers to dyke regions and so-called open landscapes that are neither built over nor forested.

According to an online survey from last year, which the rural population commissioned from the Pollytix agency, among others, 70 percent of voters in Lower Saxony are in favor of setting a maximum number of wolves that can live in the state.

Survey results (Summer 2021) Green election program

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