The animal can be hunted from 16 July, 00:00, within a radius of ten kilometres around the area where livestock were killed on a mountain pasture near Niedernsill (Pinzgau) on 5 July. Five sheep were found dead on the mountain pasture at a height of over 2,000 metres, and four are missing.
- Also read: Wolf shot dead during attack on herd of cattle in Carinthia
Marlene Svazek (FPÖ), the state governor’s deputy responsible for hunting and nature conservation, believes the procedure is legal. Following the ECJ ruling, “all legal opinions” were sought and examined. In a press release, Svazek spoke of shooting as a “last resort if all other measures are not possible”. Herd protection is not possible in the affected area. The state recently issued a regulation on so-called “pasture protection areas”. Of the approximately 6,600 areas examined, fencing in livestock is only possible in 434.
Great concerns
As several media reported on Monday, there are serious concerns within the state government. There are likely to be voices in the state legislature saying that a regulation such as the current one is not legally tenable. In fact, Governor Wilfried Haslauer (ÖVP) confirmed “different legal opinions”. However, the different legal viewpoints have been weighed up and the path taken is being adhered to.
The European Court of Justice ruled on Thursday that the ban on wolf hunting in Austria remains in place. “An exception to this ban to avoid economic damage can only be granted if the wolf population is in a favourable conservation status, which is not the case in Austria.” European law experts believe that the shooting of further wolves could lead to infringement proceedings against Austria.
Sharp criticism
Animal and nature conservation organizations have repeatedly sharply criticized the country’s approach. They believe that serious herd protection is very possible. Shooting would not solve the problem of grazing livestock farmers because animals would continue to migrate from abroad. In addition, the ecological and economic benefits of wolves far outweigh the damage they cause to grazing animals – because they keep game populations healthy and, by regulating hoofed game, also promote a natural and climate-fit forest.
If the wolf is killed in Niedernsill, it would be the third animal killed in Salzburg. Two wolves were shot in the Hochkönig area and in the Rauristal in July 2023 and July 2024, respectively, after numerous sheep and goats had previously fallen victim to them.
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Source: Nachrichten
