Rottach-Egern (dpa/lby) – Representatives of the Bavarian state government have clearly committed themselves to making it easier to shoot down wolves in alpine areas that are difficult to protect. “The wolf doesn’t belong here. It’s not his habitat,” said Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) on Wednesday at the main pasture inspection with around 400 farmers on the Sieblalm near Rottach-Egern in the Miesbach district.
By the end of the alpine summer, Minister of Agriculture Michaela Kaniber (CSU) announced an important step towards easier removal. In that case, pastures in the Alpine region that are judged to be unreasonably fenceable should be grouped together on a large scale. If wolves caused damage to livestock there, they could be removed or killed more quickly. “Wolves are not threatened with extinction – but our alpine farmers will soon be,” warned Kaniber.
Environment Minister Thorsten Faithr (free voters) said that the farmers created the biodiversity of the alpine pastures through “the work of their hands” and that this should not be endangered in favor of the wolf. The pastures are a “real Noah’s Ark”, added Ilse Aigner (CSU), President of the Landtag. In view of the many hikers, the alpine pastures cannot be protected even with livestock guard dogs.
