D: Animal welfare organisations call for ban on trap hunting
For most animal species, there is not even a legitimate reason within the meaning of the Animal Welfare Act to kill them as part of hunting.
On 7 July, the Hessian state parliament passed a law banning so-called kill traps.
Already banned in five federal states
In five other federal states, hobby hunting with these supposedly instantly lethal snap traps is already banned (Berlin, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland, with exceptions in Baden-Württemberg and Saxony).
In the joint letter, the Federation Against Animal Abuse, the German Animal Welfare Federation, the German Legal Society for Animal Welfare Law, and Wildlife Protection Germany point out that these traps pose a significant risk of injury to all animal species.
Trap hunting is counterproductive
Recreational hunters claim that trap hunting is necessary to effectively reduce populations of foxes, raccoons, and raccoon dogs. However, as numerous scientific studies demonstrate, hobby hunting of predators is broadly ineffective.
The example of Luxembourg shows that things can be done differently. Although fox hunting has been banned there since 2015, the red fox population has not increased to this day. Over the same period, more than 18,000 foxes were shot in the similarly sized Saarland — without the situation for prey species improving in the slightest.
Further reading: Petition: Foxes – Birds – Pets: No hobby hunting without legitimate justification!
