Wiesbaden (dpa/lhe) – With the new Hessian hunting regulations, some animals may be hunted more and some less. The regulation went into effect on Monday. “The hunting times have been adapted to the game biology of the respective species. Species whose occurrence is declining will be better protected in the future,” said Environment Minister Priska Hinz (Greens) on Monday in Wiesbaden.
For the collared pigeon and five gull species, there is now a year-round closed season. “With the year-round closed season, we are protecting these endangered bird species and thus biodiversity in Hesse,” emphasized the minister. Brown hares and mallards may only be hunted as much as there is growth. Partridges may not be shot if there are fewer than three pairs per 100 hectares and the increase is not at least 250 percent. The development of wild animals is to be observed intensively with the help of monitoring.
While hunting of some animal species has been restricted to protect them, other species are to be hunted more to deplete their numbers. This particularly affects invasive species such as Egyptian geese. They can now be hunted a month earlier – from August. According to the ministry, the shooting tests for hunters have become more demanding “to avoid animal suffering during the hunt and to ensure that both stationary and fleeing game are hit with accuracy,” explained the minister.
