Lower Saxony: Disappointing Reforms in Hunting Law

This is demonstrated by the key points paper recently published by the Lower Saxon Ministry of Agriculture, which outlines the central proposed amendments to the law, as well as the press release issued by the SPD parliamentary group.

The paper forms the basis for the draft legislation and the legislative process that will now follow.

Animal Welfare-Relevant Points Watered Down

«In the final version of the key points paper, all animal welfare-relevant points have been watered down. Even the shooting of free-roaming cats remains permitted. The paper is a disappointment, especially since the state hunting association failed to present any convincing arguments against the changes that had originally been planned,» comments James Brückner, Head of the Wildlife Division at the German Animal Welfare Federation.

Dieter Ruhnke, Chairman of the Lower Saxony State Animal Welfare Association, adds: «Lower Saxony has, with the revision of this law, the opportunity to lead the way with a modern Hunting Law to establish.» We therefore strongly criticize the regulations now apparently included in the key points paper that are inconsistent with the coalition agreement. The State Hunters' Association demanded that the SPD parliamentary group clearly and unambiguously distance itself from the allegedly purely ideologically motivated changes to the hunting law. Even after three dialogue events, the State Hunters' Association was unwilling to submit its own proposals, let alone compromise proposals, and opted for confrontation — with the aim of intimidating decision-makers in a manner analogous to last year's farmers' protests. This appears to have had an effect, as can also be seen from the press release of the SPD parliamentary group. We now appeal to the members of the Lower Saxony state parliament to advocate for genuine improvements in the interest of animal welfare throughout the legislative process and not to communicate exclusively with the recreational hunters.

Shooting of cats and sette systems remain permitted

The first drafts of the key points paper provided for a ban on the shooting of dogs and cats. According to the published paper, however, cats are now to be permitted to be shot — provided they are located at least 350 metres away from the nearest building. While a ban on training hunting dogs on live animals had originally been envisaged, training in wild boar enclosures, in sette systems with foxes, and with live ducks is to remain permitted. Instead of a consistent ban on earth hunting, the key points paper now only provides for a ban at natural earths; artificial earths are to remain permitted. The ban on kill traps is to come into effect, though an exception is to apply to stone martens in residential areas. Furthermore, contrary to original intentions, nutrias are not to be removed from hunting law. The lobby of the recreational hunters has apparently prevailed — a pattern that is also visible in the failure of recreational hunting as a means of population control.